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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. degree — an amount
  9. key — in music
  10. wax — to grow
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — letters
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. clip — for paper
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. clip — to cut
  20. spell — magic
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. degree — temperature
  24. clip — a video

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