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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mug — a cup
  5. track — a path
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. snap — to click
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mug — a face
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. foot — a measure
  15. kid — to tease
  16. track — a song
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. kid — child
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mug — to rob
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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