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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rule — a law
  5. perch — the fish
  6. spring — the season
  7. court — of a king
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. board — to get on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rule — government
  13. spring — of water
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. court — for sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. court — of law
  19. pass — a permit
  20. board — a committee
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wax — to grow
  24. board — a flat piece

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