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: hide · ball · last · tube · scale · wax · fall · object

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tube — a container
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. last — to go on
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — to protest
  11. last — finally
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tube — the underground
  20. scale — in music
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. object — an aim
  23. last — final
  24. hide — to keep secret

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