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: tube · lean · fork · bat · chest · wax · root · track

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chest — of your body
  5. root — of a word
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. tube — a container
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. track — a path
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. root — the cause
  17. chest — a box
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. wax — to grow
  23. lean — thin
  24. track — a song

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