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: pop · rash · stick · row · wax · face · scale · ruler

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. face — part of the head
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rash — a series
  12. pop — soda
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pop — music
  15. row — a line
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. scale — in music
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. scale — size or range

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