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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — for sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. current — electric
  5. file — a tool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. court — of a king
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. current — of water
  11. wax — to grow
  12. court — of law
  13. current — happening now
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. can — a tin
  17. rest — a break
  18. file — a document
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — for light
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. file — a line of people
  24. temple — a place of worship

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