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 · firm · wax · stand · lash · patient · spell · row

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. firm — decided
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. spell — magic
  12. wax — to grow
  13. field — for sport
  14. spell — letters
  15. field — farmland
  16. firm — a company
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. firm — steady
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stand — to bear
  22. field — a subject
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wax — in the ear

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