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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. clip — a video
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bass — low music
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. clip — to cut
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bass — the fish

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