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: rash · wax · ball · ground · mug · clip · mouse · bulb

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wax — to grow
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rash — a series
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. clip — a video
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mug — a face
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mouse — the animal

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