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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cue — for pool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bark — a dog's sound

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