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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. march — the month
  3. snap — to click
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. court — of law
  9. mate — a friend
  10. tube — a container
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mate — to breed
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. mate — a partner
  17. march — the month
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. march — music
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. tube — the underground

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