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: pit · clip · wax · calf · pass · lie · drill · bass

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pit — a hole
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. drill — army training
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. drill — a practice
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. clip — a video
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bass — low music
  24. clip — to cut

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