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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rest — a break
  5. root — the cause
  6. face — part of the head
  7. press — a publisher
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. press — newspapers
  11. face — to point toward
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. game — a match
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. root — of a word
  16. face — to confront
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. press — to push
  24. root — of a plant

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