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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wax — to grow
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. deal — to handle
  8. firm — steady
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. prune — to trim
  13. firm — decided
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. firm — a company
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. nail — on a finger

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