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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. clip — to cut
  4. swing — in golf
  5. race — humankind
  6. clip — a video
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. staff — employees
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. clip — for paper
  18. race — a contest
  19. pound — a weight
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. swing — music

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