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: wax · last · bay · prune · ruler · pitch · straw · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. last — to go on
  4. prune — to trim
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. last — final
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. last — finally
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cue — for pool
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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