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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. shower — rain
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. charge — in control
  6. band — a ring
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. charge — electricity
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mate — to breed
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. band — a music group
  20. hand — help
  21. shower — to wash
  22. prune — to trim
  23. charge — a price
  24. wax — in the ear

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