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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wind — moving air
  8. season — in sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. prune — to trim
  15. land — ground
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. season — of the year
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. land — a country
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. land — to come down

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