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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mug — to rob
  4. ground — a position
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pit — a hole
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ground — crushed
  10. face — to confront
  11. court — for sport
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mug — a cup
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mug — a face
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pit — in a race
  20. court — of law
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. court — of a king
  23. wax — to grow
  24. face — to point toward

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