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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · mug · land · charge · hide · coach · cabinet · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mug — a face
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wax — to grow
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. charge — electricity
  15. band — a ring
  16. charge — in control
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. charge — a price
  20. land — to come down
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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