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: lash · clip · wax · ruler · rash · date · tube · cell

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cell — a phone
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. clip — for paper
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. date — the fruit
  10. cell — in biology
  11. tube — a container
  12. rash — a series
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. clip — to cut
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. clip — a video
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. tube — the underground
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rash — hasty

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