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: patient · wax · capital · fan · firm · stick · mine · hide

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. capital — a city
  6. firm — a company
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. firm — decided
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. firm — steady
  12. capital — money
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wax — to grow
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mine — an explosive

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