ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · race · deal · snap · coach · spring · board · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — to get on
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. spring — of water
  9. race — the arms race
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. board — a committee
  15. snap — to click
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wax — to grow
  18. race — humankind
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. race — a contest
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. deal — an agreement

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com