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: wound · bark · mouse · wax · drill · cue · rule · land

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rule — a law
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bark — to shout
  5. land — ground
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rule — government
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cue — a signal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. drill — army training
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mouse — for a computer

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