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: bulb · wax · field · board · squash · rest · pit · ground

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ground — a position
  6. pit — a hole
  7. field — farmland
  8. rest — a break
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. field — a subject
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rest — what's left
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ground — crushed
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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