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: pitcher · fine · scale · bear · wax · straw · lie · patient

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. lie — an untruth

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