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: last · wax · fan · cell · band · sharp · calf · charge

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. band — a ring
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cell — in biology
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. band — a music group
  12. cell — a phone
  13. charge — in control
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. last — finally
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. charge — a price
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. last — final
  24. charge — electricity

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