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: jam · mug · club · wax · fall · capital · pitcher · root

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fall — to drop
  4. root — of a word
  5. fall — the season
  6. root — the cause
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mug — a face
  10. club — for golf
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. club — a group
  14. wax — to grow
  15. capital — a city
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. fall — to drop
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. capital — money
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mug — a cup

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