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: wound · stand · wax · squash · pop · stem · tube · hide

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pop — music
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wound — an injury
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tube — a container
  12. pop — soda
  13. stand — to bear
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pop — to visit
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. squash — the vegetable

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