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: wake · mate · tear · chip · stem · plane · scale · wax

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stem — to come from
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chip — for betting
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mate — a friend
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chip — to eat
  20. scale — in music
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wake — a trail

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