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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bear — the animal
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wake — a trail
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. nail — on a finger

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