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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. content — happy
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. content — the amount
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — a thrill

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