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 120 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: wound · mine · cue · track · craft · wax · kid · safe

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wound — an injury
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mine — for digging
  10. track — a song
  11. kid — child
  12. wax — to grow
  13. track — a path
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. track — to keep track
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cue — a signal
  22. craft — boats
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. kid — to tease

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