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 116 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: safe · rest · wake · wax · field · bound · saw · nail

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. field — a subject
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bound — tied together
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rest — what's left
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bound — certain
  14. saw — the tool
  15. field — farmland
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rest — a break
  18. wake — a trail
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bound — obliged
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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