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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cue — a hint
  10. track — a song
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. track — a path
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rush — hurry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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