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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. spell — letters
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. drill — a practice
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. snap — to click
  15. cue — for pool
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. spell — magic
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rule — government
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ruler — for measuring

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