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: cap · prune · wax · bear · clip · track · foot · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bear — the animal
  4. clip — to cut
  5. cap — of ice
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. clip — for paper
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. clip — a video
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. plane — a tool
  14. track — a song
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. prune — to trim
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wax — to grow
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cap — a lid

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