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: prune · board · chest · pass · fine · wax · mark · temple

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pass — a permit
  4. board — to get on
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chest — a box
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mark — a trace
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mark — a grade
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fine — high quality
  21. board — a committee
  22. fine — all right
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. chest — of your body

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