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: bound · wax · bulb · degree · pitch · date · dip · content

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bound — tied together
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bulb — for light
  8. date — the fruit
  9. wax — to grow
  10. content — the amount
  11. dip — to sink
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bound — certain
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bulb — for light
  17. content — happy
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bulb — of a plant

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