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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. toast — bread
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rush — hurry
  7. branch — a division
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. snap — to click
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. game — a match
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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