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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. cue — for pool
  5. field — a subject
  6. bound — certain
  7. cue — a signal
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. track — a path
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. field — for sport
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. season — in sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. track — a song
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cue — a hint
  23. track — to keep track
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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