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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rash — a series
  6. prune — to trim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a music group
  9. saw — the tool
  10. roll — a list
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. prune — to trim
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. toast — bread
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wax — to grow
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. band — a ring

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