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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stand — to bear
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fine — all right
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pit — in a race
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. suit — in cards

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