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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. saw — the tool
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. craft — boats
  9. key — in music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. key — for a lock
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. craft — a skill
  14. charge — a price
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wind — moving air
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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