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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · wax · jam · dip · kick · spring · kid · bound

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. field — a subject
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bound — certain
  5. kid — to tease
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. kick — in football
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. spring — a coil
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kid — child
  13. spring — of water
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. field — for sport
  16. wax — to grow
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. field — farmland
  23. spring — the season
  24. dip — a sauce

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