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: root · prune · patient · current · mouse · wax · dip · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. prune — to trim
  3. current — electric
  4. root — the cause
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wax — to grow
  7. root — of a plant
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. current — of water
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. root — of a word
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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