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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. net — for catching
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. net — in sport
  7. mug — a cup
  8. net — after costs
  9. mug — a face
  10. clip — to cut
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mug — to rob
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. drill — the tool
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. content — happy
  19. clip — for paper
  20. content — the amount
  21. clip — a video
  22. pound — a weight
  23. drill — army training
  24. safe — out of danger

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