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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wax — to grow
  7. land — a country
  8. track — to keep track
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ball — a great time
  12. track — a song
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. land — to come down
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fork — in a road
  24. pass — a permit

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