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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. drill — a practice
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pop — soda
  6. cap — a lid
  7. date — the fruit
  8. rule — a law
  9. drill — army training
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pop — to visit
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. present — a gift
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cap — a hat
  19. present — the time now
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rule — government
  23. pop — music
  24. present — there

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