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: wave · race · clip · fine · row · date · wax · bay

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. race — a contest
  4. fine — all right
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. date — the fruit
  7. fine — high quality
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. row — to paddle
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. race — humankind
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. race — the arms race
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. clip — a video

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