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

Word bank: tear · lean · wax · wound · lie · content · fork · clip

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lean — to bend
  3. clip — a video
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lean — thin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. content — the amount
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. clip — to cut
  19. content — happy
  20. clip — for paper
  21. tear — to rip
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wound — an injury

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