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: chest · chair · scale · wax · kick · tear · charge · bound

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bound — tied together
  4. charge — in control
  5. bound — certain
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — to grow
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. charge — a price
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. chest — a box
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tear — to rip
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chest — of your body
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chest — of your body
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bound — obliged

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