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

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. drill — the tool
  3. field — farmland
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bank — for money
  9. field — a subject
  10. drill — a practice
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. drill — army training
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. spell — a short time
  17. field — for sport
  18. rush — hurry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. spell — letters
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — magic

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