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: bound · sharp · fall · clip · lean · plane · ball · wax

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. fall — the season
  2. ball — a great time
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. wax — to grow
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bound — certain
  15. plane — a tool
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. clip — a video
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fall — to drop
  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