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 120 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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 — to grow
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. root — of a word
  8. season — of the year
  9. bass — the fish
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. root — of a plant
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bank — for money
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bank — for money
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. season — in sport
  23. prune — to trim
  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