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: band · ruler · rash · content · cabinet · tube · wax · date

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. band — a ring
  6. tube — the underground
  7. content — happy
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wax — to grow
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. band — a music group
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. tube — a container
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. content — the amount
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rash — a series
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. band — a rubber band

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