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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bass — the fish
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pass — a permit
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wax — to grow
  12. field — farmland
  13. bass — low music
  14. lean — thin
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. season — in sport
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. field — a subject
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. season — of the year
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. dip — to sink

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