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: safe · dip · stem · wax · mine · pop · rule · scale

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pop — music
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rule — a law
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stem — to come from
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rule — government
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mine — for digging

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