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: march · mark · wax · net · cue · field · fork · arm

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — for pool
  7. net — for catching
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. net — after costs
  12. march — the month
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mark — a grade
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. march — music
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. net — in sport
  21. mark — a trace
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. march — the month

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