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: bass · file · wax · hide · rash · land · firm · scale

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rash — a series
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. land — to come down
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rash — hasty
  11. firm — a company
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. file — a line of people
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. file — a document
  21. bass — the fish
  22. scale — in music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bass — low music

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