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: racket · nail · bear · toast · tear · mate · race · wax

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. toast — bread
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mate — to breed
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. race — the arms race
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. race — humankind

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