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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — the fish
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. toast — bread
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pass — a permit
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bass — low music
  20. date — the fruit
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. straw — a straw man

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