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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bat — the animal
  3. firm — a company
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. last — final
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. fall — the season
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. firm — steady
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — to drop
  21. dip — to sink
  22. firm — decided
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — finally

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