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 120 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 · bear · root · perch · season · chest · deal · branch

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. chest — a box
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. season — of the year
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. root — of a word
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chest — of your body
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. root — the cause
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bear — the animal

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