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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bass — low music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. last — finally
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bass — the fish
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. squash — to crush
  13. swing — music
  14. wax — to grow
  15. swing — to play on
  16. squash — the sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. last — final
  19. tube — the underground
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. prune — to trim
  23. last — to go on
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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