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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. date — the fruit
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. firm — a company
  10. bulb — for light
  11. capital — money
  12. mug — to rob
  13. suit — in cards
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. march — the month
  16. wax — to grow
  17. capital — a city
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. march — music
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. march — the month
  24. bulb — for light

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