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: march · bark · charge · trunk · wax · stand · last · swing

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. last — final
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. swing — music
  10. last — to go on
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. charge — electricity
  13. swing — in golf
  14. charge — in control
  15. march — the month
  16. wax — to grow
  17. last — finally
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. march — music
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stand — to bear
  23. swing — to play on
  24. charge — a price

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