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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wax — to grow
  5. chest — of your body
  6. tube — the underground
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. chest — of your body
  9. kid — to tease
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tube — a container
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. kid — child
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. chest — a box
  24. wax — in the ear

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