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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. capital — money
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — of a king
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. court — of law
  11. press — to push
  12. court — for sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wax — to grow
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. press — newspapers
  22. capital — a city
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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