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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. mark — a grade
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — a permit
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rest — a break
  24. pit — a hole

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