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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. court — of a king
  3. prune — to trim
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bank — for money
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. court — of law
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. court — for sport
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bank — of a river
  15. scale — in music
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — a leader

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