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: present · land · stock · vault · deal · pass · wax · track

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. stock — shares
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. pass — a permit
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. present — there
  11. track — a song
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. land — a country
  15. wax — to grow
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stock — goods
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. vault — a safe
  21. present — a gift
  22. track — a path
  23. present — the time now
  24. land — ground

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