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: field · stem · coach · tube · pit · bear · wax · march

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stem — to come from
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — the month
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. march — music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. field — a subject
  22. pit — in a race
  23. march — the month
  24. tube — a container

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