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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. firm — a company
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. net — in sport
  8. rush — hurry
  9. spring — of water
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spring — the season
  14. wax — to grow
  15. spring — a coil
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. firm — decided
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. firm — steady
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — to hurry

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