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: rash · tube · wax · file · fan · fork · charge · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wax — to grow
  8. file — a tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. file — a document
  14. charge — a price
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. charge — in control
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fine — all right
  24. tube — in a tire

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