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: wax · current · wound · bound · lie · stock · track · drill

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. drill — army training
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stock — shares
  10. track — a song
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. current — happening now
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — goods
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. track — to keep track
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wax — to grow
  21. track — a path
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. current — of water

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