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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a dance
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. squash — to crush
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. present — there
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — the time now
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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