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: prune · lean · can · game · wax · capital · rush · lash

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lean — thin
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. prune — to trim
  10. capital — a city
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. can — a tin
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. prune — to trim
  18. game — a match
  19. capital — money
  20. rush — hurry
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lean — to bend
  23. can — to be able to
  24. game — wild animals

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