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: drill · scale · prune · nail · ruler · rush · arm · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. scale — size or range
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rush — hurry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. scale — in music
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. drill — army training

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