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: pitcher · wax · field · prune · fan · spell · pit · bear

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. field — farmland
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bear — the animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. spell — letters
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. field — a subject
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bear — the animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pitcher — a jug

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