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: stem · wax · calf · racket · jam · mug · field · coach

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mug — a face
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mug — to rob
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mug — a cup
  13. field — for sport
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wax — to grow
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. coach — a trainer

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