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 · pound · jam · stem · pass · bear · ground · fan

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ground — a position
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pass — a permit

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