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 · fan · kick · bear · tube · key · object · spring

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. spring — of water
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. kick — in football
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. object — an aim
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bear — to put up with

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