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 116 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: bat · bear · wax · bound · kick · cue · branch · root

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bound — certain
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cue — a hint
  15. root — the cause
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. branch — a division
  19. root — of a plant
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. root — of a word
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cue — for pool
  24. kick — in football

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