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: squash · wax · bowl · charge · mouse · rash · pit · field

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pit — a hole
  4. charge — a price
  5. pit — in a race
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. field — for sport
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. charge — in control
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wax — to grow
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. squash — to crush

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