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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stock — goods
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mark — a grade
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. swing — music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ground — crushed
  15. swing — in golf
  16. mine — for digging
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stock — shares
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ground — a position
  24. tear — from crying

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