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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ground — a position
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wax — to grow
  9. deal — to handle
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ground — the earth
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chair — a leader
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cell — a phone
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cell — in biology

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