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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. club — for golf
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — a group
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. field — farmland
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cell — in biology
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wax — to grow
  23. club — for dancing
  24. stem — a stem cell

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