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: deal · can · kid · bark · wax · fall · charge · branch

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wax — to grow
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. can — a tin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. deal — to handle
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. charge — in control
  13. kid — to tease
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. charge — a price
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. can — a tin
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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