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: object · staff · wax · bear · branch · cold · mine · deal

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. staff — a stick
  4. object — a thing
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mine — for digging
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. wax — to grow
  15. branch — a division
  16. cold — not warm
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — to protest
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cold — an illness

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