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 116 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — to grow
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bound — certain
  8. court — for sport
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lean — to bend
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — of law
  18. lean — thin
  19. court — of a king
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cap — a lid
  23. can — to be able to
  24. straw — dry grass

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