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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. spell — a short time
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. prune — to trim
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. roll — a list
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. spell — magic
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pit — in a race
  22. spell — letters
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pit — a hole

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