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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. fork — in a road
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. branch — a division
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. kid — child
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. season — in sport
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. season — of the year
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. spring — of water
  22. tube — a container
  23. season — to add flavour
  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