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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. vault — a safe
  3. content — the amount
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. charge — in control
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. charge — electricity
  8. wax — to grow
  9. craft — boats
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. content — happy
  14. chair — a leader
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. charge — a price
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. face — to confront
  24. bass — the fish

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