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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. track — a path
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — a friend
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mate — a partner
  16. track — a song
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rest — a break

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