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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. track — a path
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. game — a match
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. game — wild animals
  17. track — a song
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ball — a great time
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. track — to keep track

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