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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. degree — an amount
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. net — in sport
  9. spell — a short time
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. sharp — clever
  13. net — after costs
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spell — letters
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wax — in the ear

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