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 116 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: wax · fall · stock · bound · board · cap · bowl · face

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. board — to get on
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stock — goods
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. cap — a lid
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stock — shares
  15. face — to confront
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fall — the season
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cap — a hat
  22. board — a committee
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fall — to drop

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