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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — a division
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. spring — of water
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spring — the season
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wax — for sculpting

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