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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. last — final
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mate — to breed
  8. last — finally
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mate — a partner
  11. snap — to click
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. last — to go on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. court — of law

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