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 120 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: court · wax · coach · staff · leaves · stock · wind · mouse

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. court — for sport
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. court — of a king
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — employees
  8. court — of law
  9. wind — moving air
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — goods
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stock — shares
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. wax — to grow
  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