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: stick · row · jam · wax · nail · snap · track · game

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to click
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — to grow
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. game — wild animals
  8. track — a song
  9. game — a match
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. track — a path
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. track — to keep track
  24. row — a line

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