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: rash · root · mark · wax · jam · clip · pound · can

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rash — a series
  4. clip — to cut
  5. can — a tin
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. root — the cause
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. clip — a video
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. root — of a word
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. can — a tin
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. clip — for paper

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