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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. charge — in control
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mine — for digging
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. staff — employees
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. net — in sport
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. scale — in music
  15. fine — high quality
  16. staff — employees
  17. fine — all right
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. charge — a price
  22. net — after costs
  23. scale — size or range
  24. wax — to grow

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