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: arm · branch · mine · pit · stock · wax · firm · rash

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stock — goods
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rash — hasty
  11. firm — a company
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. firm — steady
  16. wax — to grow
  17. firm — decided
  18. rash — a series
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. branch — a division
  22. stock — shares
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mine — for digging

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