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 best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bat — the animal
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stock — shares
  13. key — for a lock
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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