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: wax · rush · present · bark · stick · capital · sharp · last

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. capital — money
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. capital — a city
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. present — a gift
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. present — the time now
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rush — hurry
  19. present — there
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. last — finally
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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