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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. field — farmland
  4. spell — a short time
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mate — a partner
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. spell — magic
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. root — the cause
  14. root — of a word
  15. stem — to come from
  16. date — the fruit
  17. field — for sport
  18. wax — to grow
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. spell — letters
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mate — a friend
  24. root — of a plant

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