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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. field — farmland
  3. roll — a list
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. field — for sport
  13. ground — a position
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wax — to grow
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. roll — a cake
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. field — a subject
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pitcher — a jug

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