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: stick · chip · season · prune · chair · pass · wax · degree

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. degree — from a university
  3. wax — to grow
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — temperature
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. prune — to trim
  20. season — in sport
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. season — of the year
  24. wax — in the ear

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