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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — low music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pound — a weight
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. bat — the animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. clip — a video
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. patient — a sick person

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