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: craft · sharp · wax · fall · clip · band · pop · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — soda
  3. wax — to grow
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fall — to drop
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. clip — for paper
  13. fall — the season
  14. bulb — for light
  15. sharp — clever
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. clip — a video
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pop — music

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