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: deal · saw · swing · wax · clip · present · stem · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. clip — a video
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. march — the month
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. present — a gift
  13. clip — to cut
  14. present — the time now
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. deal — to handle
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. march — music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. swing — to play on
  22. present — there
  23. wax — to grow
  24. stem — to come from

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