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 120 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: club · capital · mouse · bay · wax · mate · face · court

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. court — of law
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mate — a partner
  8. face — to point toward
  9. club — for golf
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. court — for sport
  13. club — a group
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. court — of a king
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. face — to confront
  24. wax — for sculpting

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