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: board · prune · game · wax · snap · fork · bank · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — to grow
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fork — in a road
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. prune — to trim
  13. snap — to click
  14. game — a match
  15. board — to get on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. board — a committee
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. prune — to trim
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. prune — the fruit

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