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 116 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: coach · can · ball · charge · game · stick · wax · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. can — a tin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wax — to grow
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — a price
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. game — a match
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. charge — in control
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. game — wild animals
  23. can — to be able to
  24. coach — a trainer

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