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: drill · hand · stand · face · chair · wax · pop · band

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. drill — army training
  5. hand — help
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pop — soda
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stand — to bear
  11. drill — the tool
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pop — to visit
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. band — a ring
  23. pop — music
  24. band — a music group

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