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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. object — an aim
  4. present — the time now
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. present — there
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. root — the cause
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. object — a thing
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — of a word
  21. bark — to shout
  22. court — of law
  23. object — to protest
  24. root — of a plant

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