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 · racket · wax · pass · mate · pitch · jam · face

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stem — to come from
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mate — a friend
  14. face — to confront
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. jam — in traffic

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