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 120 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: season · press · branch · leaves · wax · pass · pitcher · last

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. last — to go on
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. season — in sport
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. last — final
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. press — to push
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pass — a permit
  15. branch — a division
  16. press — a publisher
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. last — finally
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wax — in the ear

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