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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. object — a thing
  3. present — there
  4. race — humankind
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. object — to protest
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wax — to grow
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. prune — to trim
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. present — a gift
  21. object — an aim
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. present — the time now

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