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: land · fine · game · charge · date · wax · net · club

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. net — in sport
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. club — a group
  7. charge — a price
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. club — for golf
  11. land — to come down
  12. wax — to grow
  13. land — a country
  14. fine — high quality
  15. net — for catching
  16. date — the fruit
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fine — all right
  19. net — after costs
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. club — for dancing
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. land — ground
  24. date — on the calendar

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