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: cue · wax · firm · root · pitch · court · shower · leaves

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. shower — to wash
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cue — a signal
  12. court — of a king
  13. wax — to grow
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — a company
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. court — of law
  18. cue — a hint
  19. root — of a plant
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. shower — rain
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cue — for pool

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