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: fine · last · current · clip · snap · bear · wax · mark

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. last — final
  5. wax — to grow
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. current — happening now
  8. snap — to click
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. clip — a video
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fine — all right
  17. mark — a grade
  18. current — of water
  19. mark — a trace
  20. last — to go on
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. current — electric
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. last — finally

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