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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. band — a ring
  3. field — for sport
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bass — the fish
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bank — for money
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. field — a subject
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. band — a music group
  22. sharp — clever
  23. field — farmland
  24. bass — low music

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