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: last · bark · prune · bowl · wax · perch · track · jam

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. perch — the fish
  6. track — a path
  7. last — finally
  8. track — a song
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. bark — to shout
  15. prune — to trim
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wax — to grow
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. track — to keep track
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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