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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — the amount
  5. pound — a weight
  6. season — of the year
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. season — in sport
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. content — happy
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pound — to hit hard

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