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: chest · kid · firm · mine · capital · stock · wax · ruler

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chest — a box
  4. mine — for digging
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stock — goods
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. firm — decided
  10. capital — a city
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. firm — steady
  14. stock — shares
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chest — of your body
  17. kid — child
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wax — to grow
  21. capital — money
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. capital — a big letter

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