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: stem · wax · snap · bulb · leaves · roll · stock · mine

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. roll — a list
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. roll — a cake
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stock — shares
  21. snap — to click
  22. stock — goods
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stem — to come from

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