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: arm · wax · clip · cabinet · tube · present · mouse · squash

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  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. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. present — a gift
  5. clip — a video
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. present — there
  12. squash — to crush
  13. present — the time now
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. clip — to cut
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. clip — for paper
  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