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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. file — a tool
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. ball — a great time
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ball — a dance
  15. season — in sport
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. file — a document
  21. season — of the year
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. file — a line of people
  24. ball — a round shape

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