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 120 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. bore — to drill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. capital — money
  15. wax — to grow
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — the sport
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. capital — a city
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. deal — to handle
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. temple — a place of worship

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