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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mine — for digging
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rest — what's left
  10. capital — money
  11. can — a tin
  12. rush — hurry
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stand — to bear
  20. can — to be able to
  21. capital — a city
  22. can — a tin
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fan — to cool the air

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