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: field · ball · arm · wax · snap · calf · stand · saw

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. saw — the tool
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. field — a subject
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. snap — to click
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. ball — a great time
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. field — for sport

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