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: squash · wind · object · bank · bowl · wax · stand · capital

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. object — to protest
  3. bank — for money
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. object — an aim
  6. bank — for money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. capital — a city
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. object — a thing
  12. capital — money
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stand — to bear

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