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: calf · kid · branch · squash · sharp · fork · wax · wind

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. branch — a division
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wind — moving air
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. kid — child
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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