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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. field — for sport
  3. scale — in music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. firm — a company
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. field — a subject
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. field — farmland
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. scale — size or range
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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