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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. field — a subject
  15. wax — to grow
  16. saw — the tool
  17. field — for sport
  18. rash — a series
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. field — farmland
  23. stem — to come from
  24. prune — to trim

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