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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — to cut
  8. current — happening now
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. current — of water
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wax — to grow
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — hurry
  21. shower — rain
  22. wake — a trail
  23. current — electric
  24. clip — for paper

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