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: foot · wax · ground · mine · stock · can · pit · prune

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. wax — to grow
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. can — a tin
  5. stock — shares
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. can — a tin
  9. ground — a position
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. prune — to trim
  13. foot — a measure
  14. ground — the earth
  15. stock — goods
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. can — to be able to
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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