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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wax — to grow
  5. march — the month
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. capital — money
  9. current — happening now
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bound — tied together
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. tube — a container
  15. bound — obliged
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. current — electric
  19. march — music
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. capital — a city
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. current — of water
  24. march — the month

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