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 116 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: game · snap · stick · spell · branch · hide · wax · bulb

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. spell — letters
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spell — a short time
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. spell — magic
  17. game — a match
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. snap — to click
  24. branch — of a bank

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