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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. charge — a price
  5. capital — a city
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bark — to shout
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. charge — electricity
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bulb — for light
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. charge — in control
  24. capital — money

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