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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. charge — electricity
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wax — to grow
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rest — what's left
  8. charge — in control
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rest — a break
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bound — obliged
  16. capital — money
  17. charge — a price
  18. tear — to rip
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bound — certain
  22. capital — a city
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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