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 124 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: wave · craft · wound · wax · race · staff · perch · hand

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. hand — in cards
  3. perch — the fish
  4. race — humankind
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wax — to grow
  12. staff — a stick
  13. craft — boats
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. race — a contest
  17. hand — help
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. craft — a skill
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wax — for sculpting

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