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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rule — government
  6. wax — to grow
  7. capital — a city
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. degree — an amount
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. degree — temperature
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. capital — money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. degree — from a university
  18. roll — a list
  19. rule — a law
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mark — a grade

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