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: bay · root · wax · wound · key · chest · pit · tube

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. root — of a word
  3. chest — a box
  4. tube — a container
  5. wound — an injury
  6. key — in music
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wound — an injury
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chest — of your body
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chest — of your body
  24. root — the cause

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