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 120 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: cue · wax · race · fork · saw · mate · tube · pass

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fork — in a road
  9. race — the arms race
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pass — a permit
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. race — humankind
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cue — a signal
  21. race — a contest
  22. cue — for pool
  23. tube — a container
  24. saw — the tool

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