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 116 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: wax · bay · face · rush · rash · tube · file · current

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. tube — a container
  4. rush — hurry
  5. file — a tool
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. file — a document
  8. face — to confront
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. file — a line of people
  17. tube — the underground
  18. current — electric
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rash — a series
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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