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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mate — a friend
  5. court — of a king
  6. last — to go on
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. last — finally
  10. prune — to trim
  11. face — to confront
  12. rule — government
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. court — for sport
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. court — of law
  24. prune — to trim

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