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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. rash — hasty
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stock — goods
  14. rash — a series
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. tear — from crying
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. date — the fruit
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rule — government
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stock — shares
  24. rule — a law

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