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 · branch · hand · spell · court · pass · prune · coach

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. court — of law
  4. spell — letters
  5. branch — a division
  6. court — for sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hand — help
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. court — of a king
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pass — a permit
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wax — to grow

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