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 120 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. track — a song
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stock — goods
  8. track — a path
  9. spring — of water
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. firm — steady
  12. stock — shares
  13. firm — decided
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. track — to keep track
  24. firm — a company

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