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: row · branch · squash · wax · fall · arm · court · lean

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. wax — to grow
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fall — the season
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. branch — a division
  14. fall — to drop
  15. row — to paddle
  16. court — for sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lean — to bend
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. row — a line
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. squash — the sport

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