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: leaves · prune · degree · row · wax · track · saw · game

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. row — a line
  5. wax — to grow
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. degree — temperature
  9. saw — the tool
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. track — a path
  12. game — a match
  13. track — to keep track
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. saw — the tool
  18. degree — an amount
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. row — to paddle
  22. track — a song
  23. degree — from a university
  24. game — wild animals

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