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: mouse · tear · spring · capital · tube · wax · pitch · saw

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. capital — money
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wax — to grow
  13. spring — of water
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pitch — completely
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. tube — a container

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