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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stock — shares
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. vault — a safe
  17. field — farmland
  18. stock — goods
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. dip — to sink

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