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: hand · kid · press · bay · wax · rest · stock · land

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. hand — in cards
  3. kid — child
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. press — a publisher
  7. land — a country
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rest — a break
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rest — what's left
  12. press — to push
  13. rest — what's left
  14. land — ground
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. hand — help
  23. land — to come down
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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