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: kid · bark · calf · wax · chest · present · pound · straw

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. chest — a box
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bark — to shout
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. chest — of your body
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. present — there
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. kid — child
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chest — of your body

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