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 120 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wax — to grow
  4. charge — in control
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. branch — a division
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pound — a weight
  20. charge — a price
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. charge — electricity

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