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: wax · bat · last · bulb · bear · stock · lash · track

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bear — the animal
  5. last — to go on
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stock — shares
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. last — final
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. track — a song
  14. wax — to grow
  15. last — finally
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — goods
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bat — the animal
  22. track — a path
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. stock — a soup base

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