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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. last — finally
  4. charge — electricity
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. game — a match
  8. last — to go on
  9. charge — in control
  10. ground — a position
  11. net — in sport
  12. pop — to visit
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. charge — a price
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ground — the earth
  17. last — final
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. ground — crushed
  23. branch — a division
  24. game — wild animals

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