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 was ________________ to happen.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cue — a hint
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. tube — a container
  6. cue — for pool
  7. spell — letters
  8. bound — tied together
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wax — to grow
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. roll — a list
  22. spell — magic
  23. tube — the underground
  24. file — a document

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