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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. rock — a stone
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rest — a break
  19. snap — to click
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bulb — for light

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