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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. court — of a king
  3. drill — army training
  4. present — a gift
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. present — there
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. court — of law
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. court — for sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. clip — for paper
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. present — the time now
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rock — music
  22. clip — to cut
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wax — to grow

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