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: bound · fine · drill · racket · game · stock · track · wax

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. game — a match
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — tied together
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fine — high quality
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. stock — goods
  16. track — a path
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fine — all right
  21. bound — certain
  22. stock — shares
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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