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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — employees
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bulb — for light
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. staff — employees
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. squash — the sport
  12. fall — the season
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fall — to drop
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ground — the earth

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