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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stock — goods
  5. last — final
  6. can — to be able to
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. last — finally
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stock — shares
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. stem — of a plant

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