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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. court — of a king
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wind — moving air
  7. perch — the fish
  8. band — a ring
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a music group
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — for paper
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wax — to grow
  20. court — for sport
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. court — of law
  23. band — a rubber band
  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