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: track · tube · bat · hide · object · mouse · tear · wax

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bat — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. object — to protest
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wax — to grow
  11. object — a thing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tube — a container
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tear — from crying
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a path
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. track — a song
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. object — an aim

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