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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. spring — of water
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. land — a country
  11. wound — an injury
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. land — to come down
  17. key — in music
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spring — the season
  22. land — ground
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wax — to grow

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