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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bound — obliged
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. last — to go on
  16. deal — to handle
  17. track — a path
  18. branch — a division
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bound — tied together
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. last — finally
  24. deal — a big deal

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