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: clip · fine · patient · fall · game · wax · plane · wake

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fine — all right
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. clip — a video
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. plane — a tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wax — to grow
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. clip — for paper
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fine — high quality
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. fall — to drop

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