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 · wax · pitch · leaves · cell · ground · wave · suit

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. clip — for paper
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wax — to grow
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cell — a phone
  18. ground — crushed
  19. clip — to cut
  20. ground — a position
  21. clip — a video
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cell — in a prison

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