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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. fall — the season
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wax — to grow
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — bread
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fall — to drop
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cell — a phone
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. press — newspapers

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