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 116 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. file — a line of people
  3. land — a country
  4. tube — a container
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — to grow
  7. file — a document
  8. rock — music
  9. spell — magic
  10. land — ground
  11. spell — a short time
  12. tube — the underground
  13. file — a tool
  14. land — to come down
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spell — letters
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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