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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. lean — thin
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. stock — goods
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stock — shares
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitch — completely

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