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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. stand — to bear
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. charge — a price
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wound — an injury
  8. branch — a division
  9. cap — a lid
  10. lie — to recline
  11. charge — in control
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. season — in sport
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. lie — an untruth

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