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: stick · fan · wax · clip · sharp · racket · chip · file

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. clip — for paper
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. file — a document
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. file — a tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. chip — for betting
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. clip — to cut
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. clip — a video
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. sharp — clever

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