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 124 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. net — in sport
  3. foot — a measure
  4. last — to go on
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. last — final
  8. last — finally
  9. net — after costs
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. net — for catching
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mark — a grade
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rush — hurry
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. mark — a trace

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