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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cold — not warm
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. tube — a container
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pound — a weight
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tube — the underground
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cold — an illness

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