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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. lean — to bend
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wax — to grow
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. degree — temperature
  15. scale — in music
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. lean — thin
  20. stock — goods
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wave — with your hand

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