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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wake — a trail
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bass — low music
  9. present — there
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bass — the fish
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rule — government
  21. present — the time now
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. present — a gift
  24. trunk — of a tree

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