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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · chest · fall · deal · coach · branch · calf · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. chest — of your body
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fall — the season
  6. chest — of your body
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. branch — a division
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wax — to grow
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chest — a box
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. branch — of a tree

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