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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. stock — shares
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wax — to grow
  8. last — to go on
  9. wake — a trail
  10. last — final
  11. stock — goods
  12. spell — a short time
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. spell — magic
  15. land — to come down
  16. spell — letters
  17. last — finally
  18. pit — in a race
  19. land — a country
  20. row — a line
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. land — ground
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pit — a hole

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