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: lie · spring · wax · last · nail · jam · march · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. last — finally
  3. spring — of water
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spring — the season
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. spring — a coil
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. march — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. last — to go on
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. march — the month
  23. last — final
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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