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 120 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wax — to grow
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fork — in a road
  5. clip — for paper
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. squash — the sport
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. tear — from crying
  13. squash — to crush
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. tear — to rip
  16. band — a music group
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. clip — to cut
  21. foot — a measure
  22. clip — a video
  23. band — a ring
  24. wax — in the ear

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