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: wax · file · pitch · nail · jam · cap · wake · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wake — a trail
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. file — a document
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cap — a lid

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