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: mouse · date · fine · wax · bound · leaves · wound · face

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bound — tied together
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bound — certain
  10. wound — an injury
  11. face — to confront
  12. bound — obliged
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fine — all right
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fine — high quality
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. date — the fruit
  24. face — part of the head

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