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: rash · scale · court · wax · lie · racket · file · stick

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a document
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — to grow
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. file — a tool
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. scale — in music
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rash — hasty
  20. court — of law
  21. scale — size or range
  22. court — of a king
  23. rash — a series
  24. court — for sport

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