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: tear · season · mouse · wax · game · pop · lash · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pop — soda
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. tear — to rip
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. game — a match
  10. season — in sport
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pop — music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tube — a container
  21. pop — to visit
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. season — of the year
  24. lash — to lash out

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