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: row · pitcher · nail · calf · wax · straw · mine · hide

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mine — for digging
  6. wax — to grow
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. row — to paddle
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. row — a line
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wax — for sculpting

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