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: fall · date · chair · pitch · bark · fine · wax · fork

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fork — in a road
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wax — to grow
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fall — the season
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fine — all right
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fine — high quality
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. wax — for sculpting

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