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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wax — to grow
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ground — a position
  8. suit — clothes
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. field — for sport
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. press — to push
  15. field — farmland
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. suit — in cards
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ground — crushed
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mine — for digging
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mine — belonging to me

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