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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. content — the amount
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stock — goods
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stock — shares
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — not warm
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. content — happy
  16. cold — an illness
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fine — all right
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  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