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

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bark — to shout
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fall — to drop
  19. board — to get on
  20. fall — the season
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. board — a committee

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