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 · mug · staff · pop · rush · wax · fan · fine

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. clip — a video
  11. pop — soda
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pop — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. fine — high quality
  17. staff — a stick
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fine — all right
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mug — a cup

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