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: game · charge · bass · rest · wax · stick · lash · capital

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. charge — a price
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bass — low music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. charge — in control
  10. capital — money
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rest — a break
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bass — the fish
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. capital — a city
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. game — wild animals

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