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: nail · cell · wax · track · rule · fan · pass · tear

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. track — a path
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. track — a song
  6. rule — government
  7. pass — a permit
  8. tear — from crying
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rule — a law
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cell — in biology
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cell — a phone
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — a supporter

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