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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. file — a document
  7. track — a song
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. present — a gift
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — a path
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. season — of the year
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. file — a line of people
  19. season — in sport
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. wax — to grow
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. file — a tool

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