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: hand · mouse · lash · stock · degree · vault · trunk · wax

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wax — to grow
  6. hand — help
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. vault — a safe
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. degree — an amount

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