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 · capital · club · cap · bay · can · stem · bat

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. club — a group
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. can — a tin
  9. club — for golf
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. capital — a big letter

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