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: sharp · game · rest · bulb · object · wax · clip · cabinet

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. object — an aim
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. object — a thing
  11. bulb — for light
  12. clip — to cut
  13. sharp — clever
  14. game — a match
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — a video
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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