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: ground · dip · tube · hand · object · chest · scale · wax

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. object — to protest
  3. hand — help
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. object — a thing
  6. tube — a container
  7. ground — a position
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. dip — to sink
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. object — an aim
  17. ground — the earth
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. tube — the underground
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ground — crushed

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