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 120 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: scale · pop · wax · capital · pit · fork · sharp · stem

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stem — to come from
  11. capital — a city
  12. scale — in music
  13. capital — money
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. scale — size or range
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pop — to visit
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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