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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. field — for sport
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. field — farmland
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. field — a subject
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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