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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chair — a leader
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. drill — army training
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. deal — to handle
  14. game — a match
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. branch — a division
  24. game — wild animals

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