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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. field — farmland
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pop — music
  7. field — for sport
  8. wax — to grow
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. can — a tin
  11. pop — soda
  12. can — to be able to
  13. field — a subject
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spell — a short time
  16. season — in sport
  17. can — a tin
  18. staff — employees
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — employees
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pop — to visit
  23. season — of the year
  24. wax — for sculpting

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