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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. race — the arms race
  9. toast — bread
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. last — finally
  14. wax — to grow
  15. file — a document
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. content — the amount
  20. file — a tool
  21. content — happy
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rule — government

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