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: bear · court · nail · wax · lie · track · stick · row

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. row — a line
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. court — for sport
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. court — of law
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. court — of a king
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lie — an untruth

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