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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wax — to grow
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. mug — a face
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. mug — a cup
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mug — to rob
  17. race — the arms race
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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