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: sharp · lie · stem · wax · cap · ball · pass · capital

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wax — to grow
  5. capital — money
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. capital — a city
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stem — to come from
  23. lie — to recline
  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