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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. season — in sport
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. snap — to click
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. season — of the year
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spring — the season
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pound — a weight
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitch — completely

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