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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. snap — to click
  7. court — of a king
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. court — for sport
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. face — to confront
  12. pass — a permit
  13. tube — a container
  14. court — of law
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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