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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ground — crushed
  4. capital — money
  5. ground — the earth
  6. can — a tin
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ground — a position
  12. can — a tin
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cold — not warm
  15. suit — to fit
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. capital — a city
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cold — an illness
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cold — the Cold War

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