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: cap · branch · wax · pound · rule · band · trunk · chest

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cap — a hat
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cap — of ice
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rule — a law
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cap — a lid
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rule — government
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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