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: wax · pitcher · bore · mug · cue · field · bat · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. field — a subject
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wax — to grow
  11. field — farmland
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. field — for sport
  14. cue — a hint
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wax — in the ear

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