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: foot · pound · field · wake · wax · temple · pit · stock

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. field — for sport
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wax — to grow
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. field — a subject
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. field — farmland
  24. stock — shares

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