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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. file — a line of people
  3. court — for sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. chip — for betting
  10. file — a document
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. court — of a king
  19. file — a tool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ground — a position
  22. court — of law
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lash — to lash out

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