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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. stock — shares
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. present — the time now
  8. wind — moving air
  9. track — a path
  10. stock — goods
  11. track — to keep track
  12. wind — moving air
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. roll — a list
  15. wax — to grow
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. track — a song
  19. present — a gift
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. race — the arms race

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