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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rule — government
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — electricity
  6. staff — employees
  7. fall — the season
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rule — a law
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bat — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fall — to drop
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. charge — in control
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. staff — employees

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