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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — soda
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bass — low music
  12. rule — government
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. mark — a grade
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pop — music
  19. rule — a law
  20. wax — to grow
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bass — the instrument

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