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 120 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: craft · hide · land · object · pass · last · press · wax

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. press — to push
  4. object — a thing
  5. pass — a permit
  6. land — to come down
  7. wax — to grow
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. last — to go on
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. last — finally
  18. craft — boats
  19. press — newspapers
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. object — to protest
  23. press — a publisher
  24. object — an aim

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