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: nail · land · club · wax · stick · track · tear · suit

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. club — for dancing
  5. tear — from crying
  6. land — a country
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. land — ground
  15. suit — to fit
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. land — to come down
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. track — a song
  24. club — a group

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