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: chair · wax · date · snap · foot · sharp · prune · wake

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wake — a trail
  3. foot — a measure
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. prune — to trim
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. snap — to click
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. sharp — clever
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wax — for sculpting

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