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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ground — a position
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. ground — crushed
  8. season — in sport
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. season — of the year
  14. mug — a face
  15. stock — goods
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mug — to rob
  18. march — the month
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. march — music
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. march — the month
  23. mug — a cup
  24. chair — a leader

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