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: wax · drill · mug · temple · ground · capital · nail · rest

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mug — a face
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. capital — a city
  7. drill — army training
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ground — crushed
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. capital — money
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ground — a position
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. temple — a place of worship

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