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: can · drill · lean · wax · field · leaves · present · pitch

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. lean — thin
  2. field — farmland
  3. drill — army training
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wax — to grow
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. drill — a practice
  9. field — a subject
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. can — to be able to
  12. field — for sport
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. can — a tin
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. can — a tin
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. drill — the tool
  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