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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wake — a trail
  3. land — a country
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. land — to come down
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pit — in a race
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. face — to confront
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rash — a series
  24. land — ground

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