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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. board — a committee
  3. wax — to grow
  4. deal — to handle
  5. board — to get on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. clip — a video
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. season — of the year
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. clip — for paper

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