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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. current — happening now
  4. root — of a word
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. field — a subject
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. current — electric
  12. cold — not warm
  13. field — for sport
  14. wax — to grow
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. current — of water
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. field — farmland
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. cold — an illness
  24. wax — for sculpting

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