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 116 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 · wax · prune · rule · wind · squash · lash · bulb

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. present — a gift
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. prune — to trim
  11. present — the time now
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. wax — to grow
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rule — government
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. present — there
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bulb — for light
  22. squash — to crush
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bulb — for light

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