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: file · wake · wax · bulb · game · pass · drill · tube

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. drill — army training
  7. wake — a trail
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. file — a tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. game — a match
  12. wax — to grow
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. drill — a practice
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bulb — for light
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pass — a permit
  22. file — a document
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bulb — for light

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