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 124 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. season — of the year
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. season — in sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wax — to grow
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bulb — for light
  18. board — a committee
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bat — the animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. season — to add flavour

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