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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. capital — money
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wax — to grow
  7. spell — a short time
  8. firm — a company
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. firm — steady
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. capital — a city
  16. spell — letters
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. firm — decided
  21. spell — magic
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — a big letter

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