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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. drill — a practice
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stand — to bear
  12. prune — to trim
  13. drill — army training
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fork — in a road
  16. saw — the tool
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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