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: snap · wax · fan · stem · file · field · toast · lash

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. field — for sport
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. file — a document
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. file — a line of people
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. file — a tool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. field — a subject
  16. wax — to grow
  17. snap — to click
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. toast — bread
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. field — farmland
  24. stem — to come from

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