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: band · bear · tear · lash · row · snap · wax · tube

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. band — a ring
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. tube — a container
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. tear — to rip
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. band — a music group
  13. row — a line
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. snap — to click
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tear — from crying
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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