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: march · pitch · spell · date · court · wax · fork · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spell — a short time
  3. court — of law
  4. spell — letters
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. march — the month
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. march — the month
  16. court — of a king
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fork — in a road
  19. court — for sport
  20. march — music
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. date — the fruit
  24. spell — magic

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