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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. craft — a skill
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. club — a group
  10. craft — boats
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. club — for golf
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. dip — to sink
  20. prune — to trim
  21. net — for catching
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. club — for dancing
  24. tube — the underground

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