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: plane · present · wax · pass · drill · prune · leaves · face

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pass — a permit
  4. present — a gift
  5. drill — a practice
  6. present — there
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. drill — the tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. present — the time now
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. drill — army training
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wax — to grow
  20. face — to confront
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. prune — to trim

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