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 120 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. charge — in control
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bear — the animal
  11. court — for sport
  12. wax — to grow
  13. charge — electricity
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ground — crushed
  17. court — of law
  18. bear — the animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mine — for digging
  21. court — of a king
  22. ground — the earth
  23. charge — a price
  24. ground — a position

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