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: fall · mug · tube · bound · saw · wax · trunk · straw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mug — a face
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — the underground
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. tube — a container
  24. fall — the season

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