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: wax · temple · bat · rash · face · craft · mine · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. craft — boats
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. face — to confront
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. face — to point toward

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