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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bound — certain
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bound — obliged
  6. prune — to trim
  7. content — happy
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bulb — for light
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. prune — to trim
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. court — for sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — the amount
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. court — of a king
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. court — of law

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