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 120 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: content · stock · wax · plane · staff · prune · degree · pitcher

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. plane — a tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. prune — to trim
  14. content — the amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stock — shares
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stock — goods
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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