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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pop — soda
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cell — in biology
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. clip — a video
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rock — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pop — to visit
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. clip — to cut
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wax — to grow
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. pop — music

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