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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. court — for sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mine — for digging
  14. last — final
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. last — to go on
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. last — finally
  20. court — of law
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. court — of a king
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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