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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. wax — to grow
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rash — a series
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. squash — the sport
  24. wax — for sculpting

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