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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rule — a law
  4. last — final
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. march — the month
  8. bulb — for light
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rule — government
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. march — the month
  18. last — finally
  19. mate — a friend
  20. last — to go on
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. march — music

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