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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. snap — to click
  4. mate — a partner
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bank — of a river
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. band — a music group
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. band — a ring
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bank — for money
  20. mate — to breed
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wax — for sculpting

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