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: land · wind · stock · wave · suit · mouse · lash · wax

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stock — shares
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stock — goods
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. land — to come down
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. land — a country
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. suit — in cards
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. land — ground

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