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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cap — a lid
  23. march — the month
  24. trunk — of a car

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