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: safe · saw · trunk · wax · court · present · rule · pop

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rule — a law
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. present — a gift
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. present — there
  15. pop — soda
  16. court — of a king
  17. pop — music
  18. present — the time now
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rule — government
  24. safe — out of danger

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