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: clip · band · bore · wax · firm · saw · fan · wave

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. saw — the tool
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. band — a music group
  8. firm — a company
  9. bore — to drill
  10. firm — steady
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. saw — the tool
  22. firm — decided
  23. band — a ring
  24. fan — a supporter

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