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 116 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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. content — the amount
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. current — happening now
  8. key — for a lock
  9. content — happy
  10. key — the most important part
  11. current — electric
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. current — of water
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. key — in music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. leaves — of a tree

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