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 · hide · row · racket · object · bat · hand · stick

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. object — to protest
  3. row — a line
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. object — a thing
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. row — to paddle
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bat — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. object — an aim
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wax — to grow

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