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 · wax · straw · bear · lash · pitch · prune · saw

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. capital — money
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. capital — a city
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — the tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. lash — to lash out

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