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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. degree — temperature
  9. content — happy
  10. band — a music group
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rule — a law
  15. band — a ring
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rush — hurry
  18. degree — from a university
  19. content — the amount
  20. rule — government
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. content — videos and posts

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