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 120 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: wax · saw · pound · bound · bay · season · field · pit

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bound — certain
  4. wax — to grow
  5. season — of the year
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bound — tied together
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. field — farmland
  21. pit — in a race
  22. field — a subject
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. season — in sport

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