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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. branch — a division
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — clever
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chest — a box
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. staff — a stick
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. staff — employees
  24. wax — to grow

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