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: hand · wax · face · fine · object · ground · net · temple

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wax — to grow
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. object — a thing
  6. net — after costs
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. net — for catching
  9. ground — a position
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fine — high quality
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. object — to protest
  18. net — in sport
  19. fine — all right
  20. ground — the earth
  21. object — an aim
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. wax — in the ear

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