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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cap — a lid
  4. current — happening now
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. current — of water
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. tear — from crying
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. tear — to rip
  15. prune — to trim
  16. roll — a list
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cap — of ice
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. season — of the year
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bear — the animal

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