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: current · wax · saw · spring · mouse · cap · capital · ruler

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cap — a hat
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. cap — of ice
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. current — of water
  12. spring — the season
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. capital — a city
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wax — to grow
  18. spring — of water
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spring — a coil
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. ruler — a monarch

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