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: branch · mouse · track · current · tube · season · wax · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. current — electric
  3. season — in sport
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. current — of water
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. track — a path
  8. current — happening now
  9. season — of the year
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wax — to grow
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. game — a match
  22. tube — a container
  23. branch — a division
  24. track — a song

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