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: rash · wax · roll · craft · degree · field · foot · face

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. face — part of the head
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wax — to grow
  6. craft — boats
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. degree — temperature
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. degree — from a university
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. roll — a list
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. face — to point toward
  17. field — farmland
  18. face — to confront
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. craft — a skill
  24. degree — an amount

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