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 120 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 · file · charge · field · wax · scale · saw · perch

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. scale — in music
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. charge — in control
  7. file — a tool
  8. field — for sport
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. saw — the tool
  11. field — farmland
  12. saw — the tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. scale — size or range
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — a price
  20. wax — to grow
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. field — a subject
  23. perch — the fish
  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