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: wax · chest · saw · club · staff · deal · field · dip

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. chest — of your body
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wax — to grow
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chest — a box
  9. dip — to sink
  10. field — a subject
  11. staff — a stick
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. field — for sport
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. chest — of your body
  20. club — for golf
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. club — a group
  23. field — farmland
  24. staff — employees

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