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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. root — of a word
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pit — in a race
  6. prune — to trim
  7. file — a document
  8. chair — a leader
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. root — of a plant
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. file — a tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. root — the cause
  23. prune — to trim
  24. file — a line of people

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