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 116 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: wax · march · shower · last · current · perch · bulb · pass

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. current — of water
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. shower — rain
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. last — final
  9. current — happening now
  10. last — to go on
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. march — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pass — a permit
  16. current — electric
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. march — the month
  20. last — finally
  21. wax — to grow
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — for light
  24. shower — to wash

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