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 116 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: wax · dip · cue · present · tube · season · row · capital

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. season — in sport
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wax — to grow
  12. present — the time now
  13. cue — a hint
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. cue — a signal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. row — a line
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. row — to paddle
  21. tube — a container
  22. season — of the year
  23. capital — money
  24. wax — in the ear

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