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: spring · wax · file · club · tear · pitcher · suit · chip

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. tear — from crying
  3. spring — a coil
  4. club — for golf
  5. file — a tool
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. spring — the season
  9. suit — to fit
  10. chip — to eat
  11. tear — to rip
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spring — of water
  15. club — a group
  16. suit — clothes
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. file — a document
  20. club — for dancing
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — to grow
  23. file — a line of people
  24. suit — in cards

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