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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. cue — a signal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. tear — to rip
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wax — to grow
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cue — a hint
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fall — to drop
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fall — the season

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