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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rule — government
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. last — to go on
  7. wax — to grow
  8. last — finally
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. press — to push
  13. cell — in biology
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. last — final
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rule — a law
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. press — a publisher

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