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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · net · foot · mark · wax · capital

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mark — a grade
  3. net — in sport
  4. foot — a measure
  5. last — to go on
  6. net — after costs
  7. mark — a trace
  8. last — final
  9. wax — to grow
  10. last — finally
  11. net — for catching
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. capital — a city
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. capital — money

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