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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. track — a song
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. fork — in a road
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. track — a path
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. safe — out of danger

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