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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. clip — to cut
  5. firm — steady
  6. ball — a dance
  7. suit — clothes
  8. clip — a video
  9. ball — a great time
  10. clip — for paper
  11. firm — a company
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wax — to grow
  16. firm — decided
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bat — the animal
  21. suit — to fit
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wax — in the ear

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