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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. land — to come down
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. charge — in control
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. charge — electricity
  11. land — a country
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. charge — a price
  15. scale — in music
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. plane — a tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pitch — completely
  24. deal — to handle

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