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: kid · staff · last · pass · craft · capital · wax · fan

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. kid — child
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. last — finally
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. last — final
  14. capital — money
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. last — to go on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pass — a permit
  21. craft — a skill
  22. capital — a city
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. craft — boats

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