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: bat · branch · rock · present · pop · wax · fork · dip

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pop — soda
  5. rock — a stone
  6. branch — a division
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. pop — to visit
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pop — music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fork — in a road
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bat — the animal

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