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 · capital · chest · suit · band · key · root · date

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. root — of a word
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. capital — a city
  6. key — the most important part
  7. capital — money
  8. root — of a plant
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. key — in music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chest — a box
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. suit — clothes
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. date — the fruit
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wax — to grow
  24. root — the cause

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