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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. suit — to fit
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. suit — clothes
  9. root — of a word
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wind — moving air
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. root — the cause
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. root — of a plant
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wax — to grow
  24. deal — to handle

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