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: mine · trunk · mug · object · rule · deal · wax · jam

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. object — an aim
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rule — government
  5. object — a thing
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mug — to rob
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rule — a law
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mug — a face
  20. deal — to handle
  21. object — to protest
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. jam — in traffic

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