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: wax · club · deal · current · mouse · stem · hand · root

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. root — of a word
  8. current — electric
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. current — of water
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wax — to grow
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stem — to come from
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. club — a group
  20. root — the cause
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — in cards
  24. current — happening now

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