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: wax · mate · bay · field · key · pit · spell · rest

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. field — a subject
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. spell — magic
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. field — for sport
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. field — farmland
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spell — letters
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. key — in music

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