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: wind · lie · file · nail · march · fork · clip · wax

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. march — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. file — a tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — the month
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. clip — to cut
  14. march — the month
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. file — a line of people
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. clip — a video
  23. wind — moving air
  24. nail — for a hammer

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