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: face · wax · roll · charge · lie · squash · content · foot

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. foot — a measure
  6. face — to confront
  7. roll — a cake
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. charge — in control
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. lie — to recline
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. face — part of the head
  15. charge — a price
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. roll — a list
  22. wax — to grow
  23. content — videos and posts
  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