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

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. current — of water
  4. bound — tied together
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wax — to grow
  7. file — a line of people
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bound — obliged
  10. current — electric
  11. tube — a container
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. object — to protest
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bound — certain
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. current — happening now
  18. file — a tool
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. file — a document
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tube — the underground
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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