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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. clip — a video
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. clip — to cut
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. track — a song
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — to keep track
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mark — a grade
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. track — a path

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