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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. current — of water
  3. spell — magic
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. march — the month
  6. face — to confront
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spell — a short time
  11. march — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. band — a ring
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — the month
  16. bulb — for light
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wax — to grow
  19. band — a music group
  20. spell — letters
  21. current — electric
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. current — happening now
  24. racket — a loud noise

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