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 · fall · mouse · foot · shower · stock · branch · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wax — to grow
  4. fall — to drop
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. shower — to wash
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. branch — a division
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — shares
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. shower — rain
  23. fall — the season
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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