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: plane · wax · degree · wound · court · rule · bank · clip

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. plane — a tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. wound — an injury
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bank — of a river
  9. clip — to cut
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rule — a law
  12. court — for sport
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bank — for money
  16. clip — a video
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rule — government
  21. clip — for paper
  22. court — of law
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rule — to rule out

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