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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cue — a signal
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. court — of law
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — for pool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. cue — a hint
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. branch — a division
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hide — animal skin

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