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: pit · prune · degree · nail · key · safe · last · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. last — to go on
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pit — in a race
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. last — final
  13. prune — to trim
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a hole
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. key — in music
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. degree — an amount
  24. last — finally

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