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: can · mouse · content · pitcher · clip · mark · wax · root

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. content — the amount
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. content — happy
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mark — a grade
  10. root — of a word
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. can — a tin
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. root — the cause
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. clip — to cut
  19. can — a tin
  20. clip — a video
  21. mark — a trace
  22. root — of a plant
  23. can — to be able to
  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