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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cell — a phone
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. chair — a leader
  9. present — there
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. present — a gift
  13. staff — a stick
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rule — a law
  17. staff — employees
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rule — government
  20. deal — to handle
  21. staff — employees
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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