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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pop — soda
  3. season — in sport
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pop — music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. last — finally
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pop — to visit
  15. season — of the year
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. last — final
  20. tube — a container
  21. last — to go on
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. toast — bread
  24. pass — a permit

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