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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. root — of a plant
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. perch — the fish
  12. root — the cause
  13. file — a tool
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fine — high quality
  21. file — a document
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mug — a face
  24. root — of a word

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