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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wound — an injury
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — to shout
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cell — a phone
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. branch — a division
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. chip — to eat
  24. wax — in the ear

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