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: swing · kid · bulb · press · can · wax · sharp · branch

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wax — to grow
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. swing — to play on
  8. branch — a division
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — clever
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. press — to push
  15. bulb — for light
  16. swing — in golf
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. kid — to tease
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. swing — music

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