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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — music
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. charge — in control
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. charge — a price
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. snap — to click
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fork — in a road
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fork — to eat with

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