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: board · object · spring · stock · field · branch · wax · chip

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. spring — of water
  4. object — a thing
  5. wax — to grow
  6. field — farmland
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. board — a committee
  13. object — to protest
  14. chip — for betting
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. stock — shares
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. board — to get on
  21. stock — goods
  22. spring — a coil
  23. object — an aim
  24. spring — the season

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