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: safe · calf · file · wax · field · pound · capital · object

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. capital — a city
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. field — a subject
  7. wax — to grow
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. file — a document
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. file — a tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. file — a line of people
  18. object — a thing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pound — a weight
  23. capital — money
  24. safe — out of danger

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