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 116 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. rest — a break
  4. can — to be able to
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. squash — the sport
  7. can — a tin
  8. field — farmland
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. can — a tin
  13. field — for sport
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mate — a partner
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. field — a subject
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wax — in the ear

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