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: pass · date · ground · wax · wound · bark · pitch · nail

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ground — a position
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. ground — the earth
  22. date — the fruit
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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