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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mate — to breed
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. branch — a division
  8. rash — a series
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mark — a trace
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mark — a grade
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mate — a friend

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