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: bulb · net · spell · mark · wax · racket · field · capital

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. field — farmland
  3. net — for catching
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. spell — magic
  8. capital — money
  9. mark — a grade
  10. net — after costs
  11. field — a subject
  12. capital — a city
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. net — in sport
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. spell — letters
  19. wax — to grow
  20. field — for sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mark — a trace
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. capital — a big letter

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