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: vault · charge · calf · swing · plane · branch · pound · wax

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pound — a weight
  5. vault — a safe
  6. branch — a division
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. charge — in control
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wax — to grow
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. swing — in golf

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