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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bore — to drill
  3. present — a gift
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bank — for money
  6. present — there
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. field — a subject
  12. bank — for money
  13. stock — goods
  14. field — farmland
  15. wax — to grow
  16. field — for sport
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bank — of a river
  22. kick — in football
  23. bore — to tire
  24. present — the time now

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