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: trunk · nail · temple · sharp · wax · kid · firm · ground

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. firm — a company
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ground — crushed
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. kid — child
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ground — the earth
  18. firm — steady
  19. kid — to tease
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. firm — decided
  23. ground — a position
  24. temple — side of the head

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