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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. wax — to grow
  3. object — an aim
  4. squash — to crush
  5. object — a thing
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — a video
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. firm — steady
  14. squash — the sport
  15. firm — decided
  16. can — a tin
  17. firm — a company
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. object — to protest

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