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: field · wax · sharp · hand · snap · stick · bulb · deal

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — in cards
  8. field — for sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. field — a subject
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. sharp — clever
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. field — farmland
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wax — to grow
  17. deal — to handle
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  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