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: wax · mouse · press · object · prune · board · cap · stick

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. board — a committee
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cap — a hat
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. board — to get on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. press — to push
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. object — an aim
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cap — a lid
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cap — of ice
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — for a computer

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