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: bowl · charge · cue · track · board · sharp · wax · rash

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. board — to get on
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. charge — a price
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. cue — a hint
  13. track — a path
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. board — a committee
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cue — for pool
  22. charge — in control
  23. rash — a series
  24. wax — to grow

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