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: stem · rash · wax · pound · tube · field · vault · track

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. stem — to come from
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. track — a path
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rash — a series
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. track — a song
  16. pound — a weight
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rash — hasty
  19. tube — a container
  20. field — for sport
  21. vault — a safe
  22. field — a subject
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. track — to keep track

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