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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. band — a music group
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. content — the amount
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cell — in biology
  11. content — happy
  12. land — to come down
  13. spell — magic
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. spell — letters
  17. sharp — clever
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fine — high quality
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. cell — a phone
  23. band — a ring
  24. fine — all right

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