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 124 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. kid — child
  11. rock — music
  12. bank — for money
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cold — an illness

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