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: rule · game · tube · kick · branch · bowl · wax · cell

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. tube — a container
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cell — a phone
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wax — to grow
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. game — wild animals
  20. branch — a division
  21. game — a match
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. kick — in football
  24. rule — a law

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