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

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wax — to grow
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stock — shares
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rock — music
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rash — a series
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cold — an illness

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