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 116 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bound — tied together
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bound — certain
  5. ground — a position
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. capital — money
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. capital — a city
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. can — a tin
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bound — obliged
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. root — the cause
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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