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: stem · wax · hand · capital · board · fine · lash · toast

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. capital — a city
  3. fine — high quality
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. hand — help
  7. board — a committee
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. capital — money
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stem — to come from
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fine — all right
  23. toast — bread
  24. lash — to lash out

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