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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rock — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — a committee
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. net — for catching
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. net — after costs
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. board — to get on
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. net — in sport
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hide — animal skin

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