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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · season · wave · rule · stick · wax

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. season — of the year
  5. rule — a law
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rule — government
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. season — in sport

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