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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rule — a law
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mug — a face
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rule — government
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mark — a grade
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mug — a cup
  23. degree — from a university
  24. nail — for a hammer

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