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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. object — an aim
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. field — farmland
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — low music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wound — an injury
  10. season — of the year
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wax — to grow
  13. charge — a price
  14. field — for sport
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. charge — in control
  17. object — to protest
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. saw — the tool
  21. field — a subject
  22. season — in sport
  23. object — a thing
  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