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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. game — a match
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mug — a face
  6. branch — a division
  7. shower — rain
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cap — of ice
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cap — a hat
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spring — of water
  18. cap — a lid
  19. spring — the season
  20. game — wild animals
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wax — to grow
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — a coil

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