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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wind — moving air
  7. can — to be able to
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. prune — to trim
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. cap — a hat
  14. squash — the sport
  15. prune — to trim
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wax — to grow
  21. can — a tin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cap — of ice

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