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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. capital — a city
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. capital — money
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ground — crushed
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ground — a position
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. kick — in football
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bear — the animal

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