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: squash · wax · wound · present · craft · root · perch · clip

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. squash — to crush
  4. root — of a plant
  5. clip — a video
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. perch — the fish
  8. root — of a word
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. present — a gift
  11. craft — boats
  12. present — there
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. present — the time now
  15. squash — the sport
  16. craft — a skill
  17. clip — for paper
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wax — to grow
  21. root — the cause
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wound — an injury

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