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: can · scale · cabinet · wax · bowl · content · charge · field

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wax — to grow
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. content — the amount
  8. can — a tin
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. scale — in music
  13. content — happy
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. field — for sport
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. charge — a price
  23. scale — size or range
  24. charge — in control

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