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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cap — of ice
  3. march — the month
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cap — a lid
  6. spring — of water
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rock — music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. saw — the tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. wax — to grow
  16. charge — a price
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — electricity
  19. spring — the season
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. march — music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — a stone

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