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 · bear · toast · wax · swing · calf · pitcher · pop

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pop — music
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bear — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. toast — bread
  17. wax — to grow
  18. field — farmland
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. swing — in golf
  21. field — for sport
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. swing — music

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