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 120 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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. last — final
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. object — to protest
  6. tube — the underground
  7. object — an aim
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. tube — a container
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. snap — to click
  17. rash — a series
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wax — to grow
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. wax — for sculpting

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