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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. content — happy
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — the amount
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. net — for catching
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wax — to grow
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pound — for dogs

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