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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bulb — for light
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bulb — of a plant

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