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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. saw — the tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. spell — magic
  8. march — the month
  9. spell — a short time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. capital — a city
  14. wax — to grow
  15. shower — to wash
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. march — music
  18. lean — thin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. charge — a price
  21. shower — rain
  22. spell — letters
  23. charge — electricity
  24. capital — money

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