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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. charge — a price
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. branch — a division
  6. wax — to grow
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. charge — in control
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cap — of ice
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. charge — electricity
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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