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 116 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: march · pitcher · wound · pit · stick · wind · stand · wax

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — the month
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. march — music
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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