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 120 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: stick · bank · charge · cell · kick · trunk · wax · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. charge — in control
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. charge — electricity
  7. land — a country
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bank — of a river
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. land — to come down
  13. cell — in biology
  14. charge — a price
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bank — for money
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wax — to grow
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cell — a phone

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