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: mine · stock · wax · racket · rash · jam · plane · roll

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. plane — a tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stock — goods
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rash — hasty
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stock — shares
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wax — for sculpting

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