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 · bowl · bark · saw · wax · season · tube · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. season — in sport
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. saw — the tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bark — to shout
  10. season — of the year
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rule — government
  13. fine — high quality
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fine — all right
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wax — to grow
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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