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 116 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: wax · mark · root · cabinet · wind · bowl · stock · dip

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mark — a trace
  7. root — the cause
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. root — of a word
  15. stock — shares
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mark — a grade
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stock — goods
  24. wind — to turn a key

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