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: capital · wound · lash · swing · stand · scale · present · wax

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. capital — a city
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. capital — money
  5. present — the time now
  6. stand — to bear
  7. present — a gift
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. swing — to play on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. scale — in music
  18. swing — music
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wound — an injury
  21. scale — size or range
  22. swing — in golf
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. capital — a big letter

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