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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. branch — a division
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bore — to drill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. deal — to handle
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bore — to tire
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pop — soda
  24. pass — to spend time

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