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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. suit — clothes
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. march — music
  9. wax — to grow
  10. current — electric
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. march — the month
  13. current — of water
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. current — happening now
  16. tear — from crying
  17. suit — to fit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tear — to rip
  20. field — a subject
  21. tear — from crying
  22. suit — in cards
  23. vault — a safe
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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