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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. land — a country
  6. hand — in cards
  7. kick — in football
  8. hand — help
  9. bulb — for light
  10. object — to protest
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. land — to come down
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wax — to grow
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. object — an aim
  20. perch — the fish
  21. object — a thing
  22. land — ground
  23. snap — to click
  24. kick — with a leg

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