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: wax · temple · cue · cold · face · rest · drill · hide

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cue — a hint
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cue — for pool
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rest — what's left
  17. face — to point toward
  18. drill — army training
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rest — a break
  21. wax — to grow
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. face — to confront
  24. wax — for sculpting

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