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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rash — a series
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stock — goods
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stock — shares
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. firm — decided
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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