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 116 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: wax · mug · rash · nail · pitcher · game · tube · leaves

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. game — a match
  4. rash — hasty
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mug — a face
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rash — a series
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tube — a container
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mug — to rob

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