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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. file — a document
  6. wax — to grow
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. present — a gift
  12. bat — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. file — a tool
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bulb — for light
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. kick — in football
  24. present — there

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