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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stand — to bear
  5. current — electric
  6. charge — a price
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wax — to grow
  9. file — a line of people
  10. current — happening now
  11. deal — to handle
  12. charge — in control
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. file — a document
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. band — a music group
  20. file — a tool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kick — in football

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