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: rash · bay · patient · roll · field · fan · wax · mug

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. rash — hasty
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. field — farmland
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. field — for sport
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rash — a series
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. roll — a list
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a face
  14. field — a subject
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  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