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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ball — a great time
  13. drill — army training
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ball — a dance
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — goods
  24. wax — for sculpting

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