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: pound · club · prune · wax · nail · band · firm · branch

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. prune — to trim
  9. band — a music group
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pound — a weight
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. firm — steady
  17. band — a ring
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. club — for golf
  20. branch — a division
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pound — for dogs

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