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: race · mouse · wax · court · tube · lie · capital · present

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. tube — a container
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. present — a gift
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. capital — money
  13. court — of a king
  14. present — there
  15. court — for sport
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. court — of law
  19. lie — to recline
  20. present — the time now
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. capital — a city
  24. mouse — the animal

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