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 · object · face · fall · file · wax · swing · fan

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. object — to protest
  2. rule — government
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. wax — to grow
  7. object — a thing
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. file — a document
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fall — to drop
  12. face — to confront
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rule — a law
  19. swing — in golf
  20. file — a tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. face — to point toward
  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