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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. roll — a cake
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. roll — a list
  6. mug — a face
  7. field — a subject
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. field — for sport
  16. mug — a cup
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. scale — in music
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wax — to grow
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. field — farmland
  24. scale — size or range

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