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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. firm — steady
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. tear — from crying
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. press — to push
  8. firm — a company
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mark — a grade
  11. firm — decided
  12. mark — a trace
  13. pass — a permit
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. game — wild animals
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. press — a publisher
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wax — to grow
  22. game — a match
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. game — a kind of play

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