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: row · bat · wax · bulb · face · mouse · chair · firm

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bat — the animal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. firm — decided
  9. chair — a leader
  10. face — to confront
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. firm — a company
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. row — a line
  19. firm — steady
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. face — part of the head
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. row — to paddle
  24. wax — for sculpting

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