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 116 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stock — shares
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. charge — in control
  6. wax — to grow
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. band — a ring
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — a price
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stock — goods
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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