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: present · ground · wax · pass · jam · field · perch · race

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. ground — a position
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. field — a subject
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. present — a gift
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. present — the time now
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. present — there
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. field — for sport
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wax — to grow
  23. race — humankind
  24. ground — the earth

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