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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wax — to grow
  5. race — the arms race
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. perch — the fish
  14. race — humankind
  15. bat — the animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. race — a contest
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stock — shares
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fork — a garden tool

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