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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. clip — to cut
  6. court — of a king
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. prune — to trim
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. track — a path
  14. board — to get on
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. clip — a video
  20. court — of law
  21. board — a committee
  22. court — for sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. clip — for paper

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