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 116 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. file — a document
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fork — in a road
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rule — government
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wax — to grow
  16. file — a tool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. deal — to handle
  19. file — a line of people
  20. spring — of water
  21. staff — employees
  22. spring — the season
  23. rule — a law
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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