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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. board — to get on
  3. prune — to trim
  4. march — music
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. board — a committee
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. march — the month
  14. prune — to trim
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wax — to grow
  17. band — a ring
  18. march — the month
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. root — of a word
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. band — a music group

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