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 · current · toast · suit · chip · rest · march · wax

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. clip — a video
  3. current — electric
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. march — the month
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. current — of water
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. suit — in cards
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. clip — for paper
  16. suit — clothes
  17. toast — bread
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — for betting
  23. clip — to cut
  24. march — music

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