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: foot · pound · wax · root · leaves · snap · degree · lash

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. root — the cause
  5. wax — to grow
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. degree — temperature
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. foot — a measure
  13. degree — from a university
  14. root — of a plant
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. root — of a word
  17. degree — an amount
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. snap — to click
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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