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: band · wax · drill · court · current · rule · firm · cap

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. firm — steady
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. current — of water
  7. court — of law
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wax — to grow
  10. firm — decided
  11. current — electric
  12. band — a ring
  13. cap — a hat
  14. court — of a king
  15. firm — a company
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rule — government
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. band — a music group
  21. court — for sport
  22. drill — army training
  23. current — happening now
  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