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 116 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bore — to tire
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pop — soda
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pop — music
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. bulb — for light
  16. present — a gift
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bore — to drill
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. branch — a division
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pop — to visit

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