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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. season — in sport
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. can — a tin
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. clip — for paper
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rule — a law
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rule — government
  12. wax — to grow
  13. can — to be able to
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. season — of the year
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. clip — a video
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. can — a tin
  20. cold — not warm
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cold — an illness
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. clip — to cut

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