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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. clip — a video
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spring — of water
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. spring — the season
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. spring — a coil
  16. suit — in cards
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. clip — for paper
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. roll — a list
  24. bat — in an idiom

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