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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wax — to grow
  10. race — a contest
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bound — tied together
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wound — an injury
  16. race — humankind
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bound — certain
  24. snap — to click

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