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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · wax · suit · stock · sharp · rush · vault · wave

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stock — shares
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. land — to come down
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wax — to grow
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. suit — clothes
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. land — ground
  24. wax — in the ear

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