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: track · capital · wax · jam · pitch · arm · root · court

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. root — of a plant
  4. court — for sport
  5. wax — to grow
  6. root — the cause
  7. capital — money
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. root — of a word
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. capital — a city
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pitch — completely
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. track — a path
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. track — a song
  24. arm — part of the body

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