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: clip · safe · face · wax · march · cap · field · pop

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — soda
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pop — music
  7. cap — a hat
  8. face — to confront
  9. clip — a video
  10. march — the month
  11. cap — of ice
  12. field — farmland
  13. face — part of the head
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pop — to visit
  17. clip — to cut
  18. march — the month
  19. face — to point toward
  20. march — music
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. clip — for paper
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — a subject

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