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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. ground — the earth
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stock — goods
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. root — the cause
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stock — shares
  10. board — a committee
  11. root — of a plant
  12. tube — a container
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. tube — the underground
  16. track — a path
  17. ground — a position
  18. band — a ring
  19. track — a song
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. board — to get on
  22. band — a music group
  23. root — of a word
  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