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: perch · tube · club · stock · rock · wax · squash · leaves

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. club — for golf
  10. tube — a container
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. club — a group
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. stock — goods
  19. wax — to grow
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. squash — the sport
  22. club — for dancing
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. tube — the underground

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