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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pop — music
  10. band — a music group
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. cue — for pool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pop — soda
  19. key — for a lock
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. band — a ring
  23. key — in music
  24. bulb — for light

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