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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rest — a break
  4. current — happening now
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cap — a hat
  10. current — electric
  11. content — the amount
  12. current — of water
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. content — happy
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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