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 · fan · object · saw · craft · prune · content · fine

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. prune — to trim
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wax — to grow
  6. object — to protest
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. prune — to trim
  11. object — an aim
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. content — happy
  16. object — a thing
  17. craft — boats
  18. saw — the tool
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fan — a supporter

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