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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ball — a great time
  4. present — the time now
  5. ground — the earth
  6. last — finally
  7. court — of a king
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — to grow
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ground — a position
  14. court — of law
  15. present — there
  16. ground — crushed
  17. last — final
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. last — to go on
  20. present — a gift
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. court — for sport
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ball — a dance

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