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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. object — an aim
  3. wax — to grow
  4. spring — of water
  5. pit — a hole
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. stock — goods
  9. land — a country
  10. object — a thing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. land — ground
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spring — the season
  18. object — to protest
  19. pit — in a race
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bear — the animal
  22. court — of a king
  23. stock — shares
  24. bear — to put up with

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