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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rule — a law
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitch — completely
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. race — humankind
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wax — to grow

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