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 116 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bass — the fish
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. current — of water
  6. rest — a break
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. current — happening now
  10. face — to confront
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — a grade
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. face — part of the head
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. current — electric
  24. bass — low music

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