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: bulb · lean · board · wax · pit · march · track · pitcher

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. track — a path
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. board — a committee
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. march — music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — a song
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pit — in a race
  20. march — the month
  21. wax — to grow
  22. march — the month
  23. board — to get on
  24. lean — thin

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