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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pop — to visit
  5. firm — a company
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cap — a lid
  10. firm — steady
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pop — soda
  13. lean — to bend
  14. spring — a coil
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — thin
  19. firm — decided
  20. pop — music
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. spring — of water
  24. cap — a hat

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