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: squash · wax · tube · hide · jam · pitcher · fine · roll

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. squash — to crush
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. squash — the sport
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. roll — a cake
  9. fine — all right
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. tube — the underground
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fine — high quality
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. roll — a list
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tube — a container
  24. wax — in the ear

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