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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. spell — letters
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. charge — a price
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. key — the most important part
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. charge — electricity
  15. capital — a city
  16. charge — in control
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. key — in music
  19. spell — a short time
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. deal — to handle
  23. key — for a lock
  24. spell — magic

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