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: land · wax · leaves · rush · sharp · bulb · spring · season

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. land — a country
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. season — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. land — to come down
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. spring — a coil
  16. bulb — for light
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. land — ground
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rush — hurry

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