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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. net — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. craft — boats
  7. net — after costs
  8. swing — music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mate — a partner
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mate — a friend
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bore — to tire
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. net — for catching
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bore — gave birth

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