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 120 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: can · content · last · bowl · sharp · face · bulb · wax

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. can — to be able to
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — to grow
  6. last — final
  7. bulb — for light
  8. last — to go on
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. face — part of the head
  13. content — the amount
  14. face — to confront
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. content — happy
  21. last — finally
  22. can — a tin
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. sharp — with an edge

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