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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. kick — in football
  4. stock — shares
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. last — final
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. last — to go on
  20. stock — goods
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. clip — a video
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cabinet — ministers

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