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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. current — electric
  5. capital — money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. capital — a city
  8. current — of water
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bank — for money
  12. current — happening now
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pit — in a race
  24. swing — music

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