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 116 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 · rock · bat · stand · wound · mate · charge · court

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. court — for sport
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stand — to bear
  12. charge — a price
  13. wound — an injury
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. rock — music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. charge — in control
  24. mate — a friend

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