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

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wax — to grow
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fine — all right
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mark — a grade
  10. branch — a division
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fine — high quality
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fine — a penalty

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