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: prune · bass · coach · cold · ball · rule · wax · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wax — to grow
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rule — a law
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. rule — government
  11. cold — not warm
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bass — low music
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cold — an illness
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. coach — a trainer

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