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: stock · plane · wake · foot · spell · bore · wax · chest

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stock — shares
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. spell — magic
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. spell — letters
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stock — goods
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wax — to grow
  16. plane — a tool
  17. spell — a short time
  18. chest — a box
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wake — a trail
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bore — to drill
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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