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: track · bulb · fan · drill · last · wax · prune · bass

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — low music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. last — to go on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — to grow
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. track — a path
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. bass — the instrument

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