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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rest — a break
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rest — what's left
  5. press — newspapers
  6. clip — to cut
  7. press — to push
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. court — of law
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. court — of a king
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. press — a publisher
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. court — for sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wax — to grow
  20. clip — a video
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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