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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. land — a country
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. file — a document
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a tool
  15. land — ground
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. land — to come down
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. deal — to handle

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