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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. suit — in cards
  3. court — of a king
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — in control
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. branch — a division
  13. bore — to drill
  14. court — for sport
  15. suit — clothes
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chip — for betting
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. charge — a price
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. court — of law
  24. wax — to grow

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