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 120 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: tear · wave · capital · branch · wax · stand · band · key

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. key — the most important part
  12. tear — to rip
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. capital — money
  18. branch — a division
  19. band — a music group
  20. tear — from crying
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. band — a ring
  24. wax — to grow

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