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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stock — goods
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rash — a series
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rash — hasty
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stock — shares
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. perch — for a bird

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