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: press · face · wax · branch · sharp · kid · ruler · bear

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. kid — child
  3. face — to confront
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bear — the animal
  11. press — newspapers
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. press — to push
  14. wax — to grow
  15. press — a publisher
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — to tease
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — the animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. branch — of a bank

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