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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. kid — to tease
  3. craft — a skill
  4. face — to confront
  5. cap — of ice
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rule — a law
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. face — to point toward
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kid — child
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. face — part of the head
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pound — a weight
  24. craft — boats

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