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: bore · stick · bound · wax · field · club · bulb · fall

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. club — a group
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. field — for sport
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fall — the season
  12. field — a subject
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bound — certain
  19. club — for golf
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wax — to grow
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bulb — for light

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