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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. object — a thing
  3. deal — to handle
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — certain
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wax — to grow

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