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: rest · can · capital · pitcher · rash · stock · cue · wax

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cue — a signal
  5. can — a tin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — to be able to
  8. capital — a city
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stock — shares
  16. capital — money
  17. rest — a break
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — goods
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rash — a series

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