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: fine · net · pit · wax · pitcher · mark · row · rest

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. row — a line
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fine — all right
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. row — to paddle
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mark — a grade
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rest — a break
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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