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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitch — completely
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. land — a country
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. land — ground
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mine — for digging
  17. tear — to rip
  18. land — to come down
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. kid — child

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