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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tube — a container
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. firm — decided
  7. file — a tool
  8. firm — steady
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. file — a document
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. firm — a company
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. tube — in a tire

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