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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. prune — to trim
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mug — a face
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mug — a cup
  9. clip — a video
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wax — to grow
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. clip — for paper
  19. branch — a division
  20. stock — goods
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. chair — a leader
  23. charge — a price
  24. mug — to rob

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