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: wax · pitch · fall · court · cap · ball · suit · mine

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. court — of law
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. suit — in cards
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mine — for digging
  17. court — for sport
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. court — of a king
  24. suit — to fit

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