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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. chest — a box
  6. mate — a partner
  7. shower — rain
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wax — to grow
  16. charge — in control
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pop — music
  19. charge — a price
  20. shower — to wash
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — electricity

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