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: saw · wax · pitch · object · jam · clip · face · wave

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. clip — a video
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — completely
  8. face — to point toward
  9. clip — to cut
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — an aim
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. clip — for paper
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wax — to grow
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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