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 120 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rest — what's left
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. kid — to tease
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. can — a tin
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rest — a break
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. court — for sport
  16. craft — boats
  17. kid — child
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. content — happy
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. content — the amount
  24. rest — what's left

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