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: sharp · wax · stock · roll · straw · tear · rush · mark

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. sharp — clever
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. tear — from crying
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. tear — to rip
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stock — goods
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — shares

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