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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. club — for dancing
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. club — a group
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. capital — money
  14. club — for golf
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bulb — for light
  17. capital — a city
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wind — moving air

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