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 120 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. spell — magic
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mine — for digging
  10. deal — to handle
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. spell — letters
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. court — of law
  24. deal — a big deal

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