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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fine — all right
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wound — an injury
  12. march — music
  13. tube — a container
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. season — of the year
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. fine — high quality
  22. march — the month
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. season — in sport

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