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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · clip · board · can · hand · rash · wax · firm

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. firm — decided
  4. board — to get on
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. firm — steady
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. firm — a company
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mark — a trace
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — help
  17. board — a committee
  18. wax — to grow
  19. clip — a video
  20. rash — hasty
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rash — a series
  24. clip — to cut

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