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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. scale — in music
  4. mug — to rob
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mug — a cup
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. file — a line of people
  12. roll — a list
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mug — a face
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. roll — a cake
  24. arm — part of the body

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