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: rush · bat · bear · straw · nail · roll · deal · wax

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. roll — a cake
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. roll — a list
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bat — the animal

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