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: wax · bore · prune · branch · chest · snap · racket · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wax — to grow
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chest — a box
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. chest — of your body
  18. branch — a division
  19. chest — of your body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — a trail
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. snap — to click

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