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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. row — to paddle
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. file — a document
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. squash — to crush
  17. row — a line
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wax — for sculpting

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