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: bound · stock · foot · last · wax · mine · ball · racket

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. last — finally
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. last — to go on
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stock — shares
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bound — certain
  19. stock — goods
  20. bound — tied together
  21. foot — a measure
  22. last — final
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bound — obliged

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