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: tube · calf · tear · wax · fine · mark · foot · mine

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tube — a container
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. tear — from crying
  24. calf — of the leg

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