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. The water is too ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cold — an illness
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. face — part of the head
  7. staff — a stick
  8. face — to confront
  9. pass — a permit
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. staff — employees
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fine — all right
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fine — high quality
  17. staff — employees
  18. mate — to breed
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. vault — a safe

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