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: present · pit · ground · root · rock · last · cap · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cap — a hat
  3. present — a gift
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. last — finally
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rock — music
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rock — a stone
  14. last — to go on
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. present — there
  17. pit — a hole
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. last — final
  23. ground — the earth
  24. present — the time now

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