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: prune · lash · press · wax · cold · ball · land · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. press — newspapers
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. press — a publisher
  5. prune — to trim
  6. staff — employees
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. press — to push
  12. ball — a great time
  13. land — ground
  14. cold — not warm
  15. land — a country
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. land — to come down
  20. ball — a dance
  21. staff — employees
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cold — an illness
  24. wax — to grow

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