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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tube — a container
  9. swing — music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mine — for digging
  16. swing — to play on
  17. tube — the underground
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. swing — in golf

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