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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. chair — a leader
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. charge — a price
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. tear — to rip
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. charge — in control
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mouse — the animal

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