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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lie — to recline
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. game — a match
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. clip — to cut
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. clip — for paper
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. perch — the fish
  21. clip — a video
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. game — wild animals

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