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: stick · staff · mug · branch · march · pitcher · wax · track

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. staff — employees
  4. track — to keep track
  5. march — the month
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wax — to grow
  12. staff — employees
  13. track — a song
  14. march — music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mug — to rob
  17. staff — a stick
  18. march — the month
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mug — a face
  22. track — a path
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wax — for sculpting

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