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: band · wax · straw · key · branch · arm · hand · deal

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. hand — help
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wax — to grow
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. branch — a division
  14. hand — in cards
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. band — a ring
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. band — a music group
  24. deal — a big deal

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