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 120 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 · pit · bowl · bass · cap · clip · tube · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tube — a container
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bass — low music
  14. clip — to cut
  15. fall — to drop
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pit — a hole
  19. tube — the underground
  20. clip — a video
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a lid

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