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 120 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 · stock · pop · rock · nail · ground · pound · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rock — a stone
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stock — shares
  8. wax — to grow
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pop — music
  11. rock — music
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pop — to visit
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. shower — rain
  19. stock — goods
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pop — soda
  24. nail — for a hammer

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