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: stock · wax · pound · staff · snap · chip · last · band

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. staff — employees
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. last — final
  13. stock — shares
  14. band — a music group
  15. chip — for betting
  16. last — finally
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stock — goods
  20. last — to go on
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wax — to grow
  24. band — a ring

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