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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fall — the season
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. clip — a video
  5. bank — for money
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bass — low music
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. row — to paddle
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. clip — to cut

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