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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. saw — the tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. current — of water
  10. saw — the tool
  11. current — electric
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. current — happening now
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. row — a line
  22. prune — to trim
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pit — in a race

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