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: branch · wax · chest · sharp · bear · bulb · leaves · current

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bear — the animal
  3. branch — a division
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. current — electric
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. current — happening now
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chest — of your body
  12. current — of water
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. sharp — clever

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