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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · wax · ruler · stick · prune · sharp

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. prune — to trim
  4. court — for sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. sharp — clever
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — the fruit

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