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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rule — government
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. prune — to trim
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. prune — to trim
  15. craft — boats
  16. cold — not warm
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rush — hurry
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. rule — a law
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wax — for sculpting

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