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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. vault — a safe
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fork — in a road
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. lean — thin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lean — to bend
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wax — to grow

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