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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. court — for sport
  5. charge — in control
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pound — a weight
  8. court — of a king
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. charge — a price
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bass — low music

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