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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. kid — to tease
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wake — a trail
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. kid — child
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wax — to grow
  22. board — a committee
  23. tube — a container
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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