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: bore · band · charge · branch · wax · net · degree · season

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. net — for catching
  3. season — in sport
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bore — to drill
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. net — in sport
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. band — a music group
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. season — of the year
  15. degree — temperature
  16. wax — to grow
  17. branch — a division
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bore — to tire
  20. band — a ring
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. net — after costs

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