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: rush · wax · staff · dip · cue · pit · drill · branch

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. drill — army training
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. drill — the tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pit — a hole
  17. staff — employees
  18. cue — for pool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cue — a hint
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cue — a signal

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