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: mouse · wax · pitcher · row · field · pop · chair · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. row — a line
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wax — to grow
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. field — a subject
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tube — a container
  15. pop — soda
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pop — music
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. wax — for sculpting

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