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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. net — after costs
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. net — in sport
  6. fall — the season
  7. charge — in control
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wax — to grow
  10. charge — electricity
  11. drill — army training
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rest — what's left
  15. net — for catching
  16. fall — to drop
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. drill — the tool
  21. charge — a price
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rest — a break

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