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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. club — a group
  11. key — for a lock
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. key — in music
  14. season — in sport
  15. club — for dancing
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. season — of the year
  18. club — for golf
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. key — the most important part
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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