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: race · stock · hide · foot · object · current · bark · wax

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. current — happening now
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. object — to protest
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — the arms race
  10. object — an aim
  11. foot — a measure
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. wax — to grow
  19. race — a contest
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. current — electric
  23. object — a thing
  24. race — humankind

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