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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wax — to grow
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. club — a group
  11. capital — money
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. club — for golf
  15. spring — of water
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. capital — a city
  18. branch — a division
  19. club — for dancing
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wake — a trail
  24. spring — the season

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