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: cue · wax · band · lie · bark · ground · jam · clip

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cue — for pool
  6. clip — to cut
  7. ground — a position
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. band — a ring
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. ground — the earth
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. clip — a video
  16. wax — to grow
  17. band — a music group
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bark — to shout

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