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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. clip — for paper
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. clip — a video
  8. race — humankind
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. content — happy
  13. lie — to recline
  14. race — a contest
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the fish
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. clip — to cut
  21. race — the arms race
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. leaves — lets stay

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