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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. date — the fruit
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. court — of law
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. march — music
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. march — the month
  13. court — of a king
  14. march — the month
  15. press — a publisher
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mark — a trace
  22. court — for sport
  23. press — to push
  24. mark — to pay attention

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