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: last · tube · kick · spell · wax · cabinet · mouse · kid

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. last — finally
  3. kid — child
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. last — to go on
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — to grow
  10. kid — to tease
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. kick — in football
  17. last — final
  18. tube — a container
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. spell — magic
  24. tube — the underground

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