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: plane · season · lash · stem · rest · wax · perch · foot

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. foot — a measure
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rest — a break
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. season — in sport
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rest — what's left
  23. season — of the year
  24. rest — what's left

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