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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wax — to grow
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. snap — to click
  7. season — in sport
  8. pound — a weight
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pass — a permit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. season — of the year

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