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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. file — a tool
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. capital — a city
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. file — a document
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. file — a line of people
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. mouse — the animal

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