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 120 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: cue · straw · bear · pitcher · stick · wax · field · temple

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. field — a subject
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bear — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cue — a signal
  13. field — for sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cue — for pool
  21. field — farmland
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. temple — side of the head

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