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 120 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: staff · bank · clip · row · charge · spell · wax · sharp

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wax — to grow
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. charge — a price
  6. clip — a video
  7. charge — electricity
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. clip — for paper
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. spell — letters
  12. row — a line
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bank — for money
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — of a river
  21. clip — to cut
  22. staff — employees
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. charge — in control

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