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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. ground — a position
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wax — to grow
  7. object — a thing
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. press — a publisher
  10. net — after costs
  11. pass — a permit
  12. net — for catching
  13. rest — a break
  14. press — to push
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. net — in sport
  17. rule — government
  18. ground — the earth
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rule — a law
  23. object — to protest
  24. ground — crushed

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