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: fall · shower · wax · mug · pop · wave · field · press

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mug — to rob
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pop — to visit
  6. field — a subject
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fall — the season
  9. shower — rain
  10. field — for sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. press — to push
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pop — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pop — soda
  20. mug — a face
  21. press — a publisher
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fall — to drop

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