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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wax — to grow
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stock — shares
  5. fork — in a road
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rock — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. prune — the fruit

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