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

Word bank: object · file · wax · mine · stand · bark · mouse · sharp

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bark — to shout
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. object — to protest
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. object — an aim
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. object — a thing
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mine — belonging to me

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