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: bank · spring · bark · nail · stick · rash · present · wax

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wax — to grow
  8. present — there
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. spring — the season
  24. bank — of a river

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