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: nail · degree · branch · wax · current · mouse · swing · press

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. degree — from a university
  6. swing — in golf
  7. degree — an amount
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — happening now
  13. degree — temperature
  14. branch — a division
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. current — electric
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. press — newspapers
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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