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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rash — a series
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. staff — a stick
  15. field — a subject
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. staff — employees
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. kick — in football
  21. field — for sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rash — hasty

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