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: lash · bark · wax · dip · shower · season · clip · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. shower — rain
  3. wax — to grow
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. clip — a video
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. season — in sport
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. season — of the year
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lash — to lash out
  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