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: track · field · clip · suit · perch · wax · game · racket

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. wax — to grow
  3. game — wild animals
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. track — a song
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — a video
  13. field — a subject
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. field — for sport
  16. clip — to cut
  17. field — farmland
  18. suit — in cards
  19. track — a path
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. suit — to fit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. game — a match
  24. track — to keep track

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