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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wax — to grow
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mine — for digging
  7. capital — a city
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. file — a tool
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. capital — money
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. file — a document
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lash — an eyelash

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