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: racket · wax · field · press · pound · snap · clip · pitcher

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. press — to push
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — to grow
  10. field — farmland
  11. clip — for paper
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. field — a subject
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. snap — to click
  16. field — for sport
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. clip — a video
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. clip — to cut
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — for tennis

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