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: hide · prune · jam · wax · spring · rule · wave · race

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. race — humankind
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rule — government
  9. wax — to grow
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. spring — of water
  12. rule — a law
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. race — a contest
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. spring — the season
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. race — the arms race

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