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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. craft — boats
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pit — a hole
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wax — for sculpting

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