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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. court — of a king
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cell — in biology
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. content — the amount
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. race — humankind
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. race — a contest
  19. content — happy
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. court — for sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. court — of law
  24. dip — to sink

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