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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. clip — a video
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. sharp — clever
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. racket — for tennis

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