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: jam · wax · toast · board · dip · field · chest · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. board — a committee
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. board — to get on
  16. chest — of your body
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. field — for sport
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. chest — of your body
  22. dip — to sink
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. chest — a box

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