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: bark · kid · bass · date · nail · mark · ruler · wax

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kid — child
  9. bark — to shout
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bass — low music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mark — a trace
  24. nail — on a finger

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