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: mark · scale · wax · stem · kid · land · last · dip

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. last — to go on
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wax — to grow
  8. last — finally
  9. land — ground
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. land — a country
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. dip — to sink
  16. last — final
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. land — to come down
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. scale — in music

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