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: nail · root · race · court · stick · band · bear · wax

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. race — humankind
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — the animal
  9. court — for sport
  10. bear — the animal
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — the arms race
  16. band — a ring
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. court — of law
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. band — a music group
  24. root — of a plant

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