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 124 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pop — to visit
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. charge — a price
  5. pop — music
  6. roll — a cake
  7. charge — electricity
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wax — to grow
  11. land — a country
  12. staff — a stick
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. pop — soda
  15. staff — employees
  16. charge — in control
  17. land — ground
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. shower — rain
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. roll — a list
  22. staff — employees
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wax — for sculpting

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