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: spring · bound · stock · trunk · mouse · coach · wax · pop

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. spring — of water
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stock — shares
  6. bound — obliged
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bound — tied together
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bound — certain
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spring — a coil
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. spring — the season
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pop — to visit

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