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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. field — farmland
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. field — a subject
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. charge — in control
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. field — for sport

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