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 116 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mug — a face
  11. clip — a video
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stem — to come from
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pit — a hole
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rock — music

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