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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mate — to breed
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. net — after costs
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. race — a contest
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wound — an injury
  17. tube — a container
  18. race — humankind
  19. wax — to grow
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. pitcher — a jug

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