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: bulb · mug · cap · wax · date · snap · march · row

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. mug — to rob
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cap — a hat
  9. date — the fruit
  10. march — music
  11. row — a line
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cap — a lid
  16. wax — to grow
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bulb — for light
  24. row — a quarrel

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