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: foot · clip · rock · march · wax · capital · safe · prune

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. march — the month
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. clip — to cut
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wax — to grow
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — money
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. foot — a measure
  14. capital — a city
  15. march — the month
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — for paper
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. march — music
  23. clip — a video
  24. prune — the fruit

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