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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pop — soda
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. drill — army training
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. game — a match
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pop — music
  13. bound — certain
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. game — wild animals
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kid — child
  20. rest — a break
  21. kid — to tease
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. drill — the tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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