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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. club — for dancing
  3. spell — magic
  4. mate — a friend
  5. club — a group
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. spell — a short time
  9. craft — a skill
  10. club — for golf
  11. rule — a law
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. spell — letters
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rash — hasty
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. fine — all right
  21. rash — a series
  22. craft — boats
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rule — government

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