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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. pop — soda
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pop — to visit
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. cue — a hint
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cue — for pool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pop — music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lie — to recline
  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