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: wax · spring · pitcher · stand · branch · mouse · drill · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stand — to bear
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. branch — a division
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. drill — army training
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. spring — the season
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. pitcher — a jug

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