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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. clip — a video
  4. bank — for money
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wax — to grow
  10. band — a ring
  11. bank — for money
  12. clip — to cut
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pop — to visit
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pop — music
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pop — soda

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