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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. capital — money
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. capital — a city
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. face — to point toward
  9. net — after costs
  10. mate — to breed
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stem — to come from
  13. net — for catching
  14. face — to confront
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. net — in sport
  23. face — part of the head
  24. suit — in cards

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