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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. staff — employees
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. staff — employees
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wind — moving air
  14. tear — to rip
  15. staff — a stick
  16. pass — a permit
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. clip — a video
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wind — moving air
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wind — to turn a key

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