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: arm · current · band · field · board · wax · patient · calf

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. current — electric
  6. band — a music group
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. field — farmland
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. band — a ring
  12. current — happening now
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. board — a committee
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wax — to grow
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. current — of water
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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