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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chair — a leader
  5. capital — a city
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. capital — money
  10. toast — bread
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cap — of ice
  13. rush — hurry
  14. craft — boats
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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