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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. firm — a company
  6. spell — letters
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. stock — shares
  20. firm — steady
  21. spell — magic
  22. firm — decided
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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