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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stand — to bear
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. staff — a stick
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. staff — employees
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. file — a document
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. staff — employees
  19. wax — to grow
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. file — a tool
  24. cell — in a prison

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