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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · temple · snap · date · race · wax · tube · rush

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wax — to grow
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. race — humankind
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rush — hurry
  17. race — a contest
  18. snap — to click
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. tube — a container
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. tube — the underground
  24. date — the fruit

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