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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · kid · scale · bulb · fan · rule · content · wake

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rule — government
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — in music
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. kid — child
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. content — happy
  20. rule — a law
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. content — the amount
  24. wake — a trail

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