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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. file — a tool
  3. charge — a price
  4. file — a document
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bass — low music
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mate — a partner
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. charge — in control
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bass — the fish
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mate — a friend

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