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: race · cell · scale · wax · pit · wind · tube · dip

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. race — the arms race
  4. scale — size or range
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. tube — a container
  7. cell — in biology
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. race — humankind
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. scale — in music
  18. pit — a hole
  19. race — a contest
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wind — to turn a key

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