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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stand — to bear
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stock — goods
  8. plane — a tool
  9. shower — rain
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. degree — from a university
  12. shower — to wash
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wax — to grow
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. degree — temperature
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cue — for pool

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