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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. field — for sport
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. sharp — with an edge

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