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: track · row · pound · stock · wax · pitcher · safe · stand

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pound — a weight
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. track — a song
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stock — goods
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stock — shares
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pound — for dogs

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