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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. season — of the year
  3. capital — a city
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. capital — money
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cap — a hat
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wax — to grow
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cap — a lid
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stand — for spectators

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