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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. current — electric
  6. sharp — clever
  7. degree — from a university
  8. file — a tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. file — a document
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. current — of water
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. degree — an amount
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bulb — for light
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. degree — temperature
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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