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 120 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. craft — a skill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kid — child
  8. bark — to shout
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wax — to grow
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. race — humankind
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. craft — boats
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. kid — to tease
  24. race — a contest

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