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: lie · roll · fine · wax · capital · rest · spring · can

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fine — all right
  3. spring — a coil
  4. can — a tin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. roll — a list
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. roll — a cake
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. fine — high quality
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rest — what's left
  18. capital — money
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. capital — a city
  24. lie — to recline

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