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 120 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — to grow
  4. stock — shares
  5. snap — to click
  6. stock — goods
  7. band — a ring
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tube — a container
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. cue — a hint
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. cue — a signal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. tube — the underground

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